Luck Of The Draw Part One: Book Of Leto
by Aquarius Princess
Summary: Growing up in the Tevinter Imperium was hard for most. Leto, an elven slave, is no exception to the hardships. Even though his life is better than most, Leto seeks to achieve freedom for his family. And when opportunity comes, he answers it. Leto/Cousland
1. Oh Child Of Mine

Chapter One: Oh Child Of Mine

Leto always thought himself as lucky.

Considering that his circumstances, it could be worse. That's the sort of attitude Leto had. "It could be worse." He was almost irrationally optimistic. At least that was what Varania told him. Being the stubborn nine year old child that he was, he thought himself smarter than his eight year old sister. And because of this, he kept his attitude.

The first indication of luck was his mother's situation. She was a maid for a Tevinter Magister by the name of Carso Yvenen. "Maid" was the cover for her true purpose as a slave for breeding. Every year, she gave birth to a child that she would nurse for a few years before it was sold. Leto vaguely remembered two older brothers, but he knew that he was her eleventh child. His mother told him that Master Carso allowed her to keep Leto and Varania out of the goodness of his heart. A snide comment from a fellow maid said that Carso did not sell them because they looked weak when born and would not fetch a heavy price. Yet why would he not just have them killed like most breeders would have when faced with weak stock? Whatever the case, Leto was grateful he was able to stay with his mother and that he had a constant companion.

The second indication of luck was that he did not work as much as the other slave children. At age nine, he should have been doing heavy labor like the other older boys. Master Carso had Leto do light housework with his sister. He also gave them plenty of time to play during the afternoon and cool evenings.

The third indication of luck was that he was not mistreated in anyway. He knew the stories of slaves. Malnutrition, beatings, torture. There was also something that happened to slaves called "rape". Leto was not sure on what it was, just that it was more likely to happen to female slaves or pretty male slaves. He had asked his mother what it was. With a white face, she just told him that he shouldn't worry about it and as long as she was breathing, she would never let it happen to him or Varania.

Yes, luck was on his side.

* * *

Leto was laying in the green grass courtyard. He adored the cool feeling of the blades on his skin. It was in these moments that he appreciated being able to relax and meditate before doing his morning chores. In the courtyard, he felt safe. He was able to close his eyes and let his guard down.

As he meditated, he felt a sudden pressure on his stomach. Alarmed and surprised at this, his eyes opened to see what was attacking him. He softened as he saw his younger sister sitting on his chest. She smiled down at him before she started to poke his forehead.

Leto allowed her to have her fun as he looked pass her and watched the clouds go by.

"I think it's going to be a girl," Varania said as she quit poking her brother. She refered to the latest child her mother was carrying.

"Her last four were girls. I think she will have a boy," Leto commented, for the sake of arguing.

"I like the girls. I get to braid their hair before they get taken away," Varania said, "I don't want her to have another boy."

"Mama said that the baby will be whatever sex the Maker pleased it to be..." Leto replied as he let out a deep sigh, "And that she hopes for a boy."

"I hope she has whatever it is before Alexa leaves. She wants to see her baby brother or sister," Varania said as she got off Leto and laid down beside him.

"She is only three years old, she will not remember the baby nor will she remember us," Leto said, sighing. He taught himself not to get too close to his siblings. It would only hurt him in the long run. He learned that after two bouts of depression. Leto also never saw his mother coddle her babies like she did them. She must have been scared of getting hurt as well.

It was a lesson that Varania would not or could not learn.

And as Leto's eyes closed once more, he gave his thanks to the elusive Maker for the gifts he was given.


	2. Wonderlust

**Chapter Two: Wonderlust**

There were few things Leto enjoyed more than looking through Master Carso's books and trying to decipher the stories. Since he was born a slave, he did not have the opportunity to learn how to read. However, books always made him curious and he did not see the harm in looking at them. Varania did not share his fascination, so he was left alone in this task. He did not mind. It gave him some time to be alone from her. Books were a magical things to him. Leto wondered how the letters could work together to tell such different stories, yet they looked the same. How could words that looked the same tell a story of love or a story of war without a single difference? It was an intriguing thought that Leto debated against himself. It was like a game for him. Find out the story. It was a difficult game, though. He was not given many clues and he did not know whether or not he was right. All he had to go on was the cover and the length of the story itself. And whenever he would find a picture, his heart would jump for joy. He was given a clue. Not knowing whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, no matter how many times he would "read" a book, he never came up with the same story twice.

The books that Leto "read" were located in a library on the second floor of Master Carso's mansion. It was placed near the staircase, so Leto was able to slip up and down the stairs with ease. He could sneak pass the upper servants and the members of the Yvenen family. Not that he thought he was in any real danger. Master Carso was a married elf with three children. He had a brother on his wife's side named Danarius, but he did not live in the mansion. The children were now adults and were steadily moving out. Soon it would just be Master Carso and his wife Mistress Lily. Leto did not have much contact with Lily Yvenen, but he knew that she did not care for the slaves. She was always quick with a remark about the laziness of the family. And Master Carso was quick to defend Leto, Leto's mother and his sister.

Before Leto would sneak into the library, he would make sure that no one was in the room. He would slid up against the wall and pressed his long ear against the wall. If he did not hear people inside, he would open the door slowly and look in. If all was clear, he would dash in and closed the door behind him. Usually it was dark in the empty room so he would pull open the curtains to let the sun beam through the window. The light would go to each corner of the room, illuminating it. Then, Leto would pick a book off one of the many shelves and decide on whether or not to read it. It wall depended on the thickness or the cover. And it depended on the sort of mood Leto was in. If he was in a good mood, he would be ready for the challenge that heavy tomes presented to him.

And today he was in a fantastic mood. He dragged out the dusty step ladder that was placed in the corner of the room. He placed it in front of the shelves and climbed up to get the biggest book he could find. The ladder shook under his weight, but he was able to steady himself as his arms reached out for the book. His long fingers touched the leather bound book and he was able to get a firm grip on it. He pulled it down, hoping that it would not fall out of his hold and make a noise. Luckily, he was able to keep his hold on it. Letting out a sigh of relief, he stepped off the ladder. He looked at the wingback chair that he had claimed as his own and sat in it. His feet barely touched the floor when he sat in it. He would swing his legs as he would read his book. As soon as Leto made himself comfortable, he opened the book and was attacked with dust flying in all directions. It was clear that this book was not open for a long time. As the dust flew into his nose, he was not hesitant to let out a parade of sneezes.

"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!" sneezed Leto as he put his hand over his nose and mouth to keep the air to himself and not damage the book. It wasn't until he was done that he realized what a noise he made. He stood still and tried to listen for anyone walking by. He listened hard, but he could not hear a thing indicating footsteps or voices. Relieved once more, Leto looked at the book again. A grin came across his face as he saw that there were pictures in this book. A lot of them, too! And the letters looked so different. They looked more like pictures than letters. With a fast heart he looked over the pictures, seeing that they were diagrams of sorts. He saw that the first picture was of a dark dungeon of sorts. There was also an altar in the middle of the room. Leto's mind began to go through a story of a knight rescuing a princess from a dungeon. What adventure! The next picture was of the dungeon, but now there were symbols in the room. They seemed so carefully designed. And they were red in color. Red paint, red paint...How would he fit this into the story?

Shrugging, he looked at the next picture and saw a woman, beautiful and naked, tied up on the altar. There was his kidnapped princess. Excited, Leto turned the page and saw there was mage standing in front of the altar with a dagger in his hand. An evil wizard, too? But where was the knight? Leto looked at the next picture. The woman was bleeding. Blood ran down the altar like water did in a waterfall. Leto frowned at this. Well, this wasn't a very good story. He glanced over at the next picture and he saw a peculiar creature. It looked like a woman. It was purple and practically naked with horns growing from her head instead of hair. She had an evil look in her eyes as she hovered above the dead woman.

Before Leto could even think of what to make up next, he noticed the door was opening. His eyes went to the door and he saw that Master Carso was standing in the doorway. Knowing that he was outside his place, Leto dropped the book immediately, causing more dust to fly in the air. He got out of the chair and began to stammer, "I-I-I apologize, Master, I didn't mean to intrude, I-" As he was begging for forgiveness, he was backing up. He backed into the large book and fell over it. As his back hit the floor, he felt pain vibrate through his small body. He crawled backwards until he was against the wall, all the while apologizing for the rules he must have broken.

Master Carso just looked at him with a hint of amusement in his bright gray eyes. However, Leto was far too terrified to notice that his master was not angry with him. Master Carso just laughed, interrupting Leto and told the boy, "Silence, there is no need to apologize. There is no harm in curiosity." He walked over to the boy and extended his hand. Leto looked at it, hesitantly. He reached for it and Master Carso helped him up. As Leto steadied himself, Master Carson picked up the book. He frowned as he looked over the cover, "You chose this book today?"

Leto's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he returned to his stuttering nature, "I, what are you talking about, Master?" Master Carso walked over to the bookshelf and put the book back on it.

"I have known about you coming up here for a while now. Sometimes you talk to yourself when you try to figure out what is happening," Master Carso said. He smiled, "It's a good thing, Leto. Do not be upset and worried over this."

With that, Leto calmed down and a small smile formed on his face, "Thank you, Master."

"Just keep off the top shelf and we will keep this secret between us," Master Carso smiled as he turned from Leto and started out the door.

"Of course, ser, I will," Leto nodded as he watched his master walk away. As Master Carso went to leave the room, Leto called out, "Oh, Master Carso?"

He turned around, stopping in his tracks, "Yes?"

Leto took in a deep breath, "Thank you."

A smile formed on the older elf's face, "You're welcome..."

* * *

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	3. Pursuit Of Happiness

**Chapter Three: Pursuit of Happiness**

After the incident in the library, the days passed quietly in the mansion. Now that Leto knew that Master Carso approved of his visits, Leto went to the library more often. Keeping his habit, Leto would still check to see if anyone was inside before he would walk in. He did not want to push his luck with his master. He dared not disturb him or get in the way if he was studying. Leto was grateful that he had a master that would allow him to _look_ at his books, much less allow Leto to put his dirty fingers over the leather and paper. Yes, life was good and luck was spoiling him. He dared not ask for anything more. He would not look his gift horse in the mouth. He was not a stupid boy.

"Leto, where were you?" Leto's mother had asked as the young boy came to her after many hours spent in the library. Leto's mother was a pretty elf with red hair, like her daughter Varania, and she possessed the grayest eyes that Leto had ever seen on any person. It reminded him of the storm clouds, that were heavy with rain. Especially the clouds that came in the summers. Unlike Leto and Varania, her ears were half as large as ears on a regular elf. This made it harder for her to keep her long red hair behind the ears and out of her face. This displeased Leto because he thought his mother had beautiful facial features. Her face and features were soft and plump, unlike Leto's own angular and shaped face. Her skin was a few shades darker than his own. It was also silky and supple outside her callused hands and feet. Leto also adored her name. Antiva. She was named after the great country that Leto heard so many stories about. It made her seem more exotic and mysterious.

At the current month, Antiva's stomach was swollen with child. She was given a month before the child was supposed to be born. After a few more days, Antiva was supposed to be put on bedrest and not work until after her labor. Then Leto and Varania were expected to take her chores. Along with Leto and Varania, she also had to take care of two daughters Alexa and Suri. So Antiva had to be strict with all of her children. However, she was easier on Leto and Varania. She knew that it was only a matter of time for Alexa and Suri to be sold and she knew that being soft on them would make her soft and make things all the more harder when Master Carso sold them.

"Where were you?" Antiva repeated.

Leto was unsettled by the question she asked. Usually, his mother did not question his whereabouts. He really must have been gone a long time. For a split second, he wondered if she would care that he had gone to the library. He also wondered that if she disapproved of it, should he lie about it. And if he was to lie was the risk worth the reward. As the split second turned into many seconds, Antiva turned from her work. She put her hand on her hip and Leto watched as the feather duster bounced on her thigh. Not wanting to face hard end of said feather duster, Leto made the smart decision and spoke the truth. "I was in the library," Leto said, taking his cautious nature to the next level and stepping back. "I lost track of my time."

He tried to understand his mother's reaction and he tried to figure out if he was still going to face the hard end of the feather duster. Or even worse, if he was going to be chased with a broom through the courtyard. That punishment was not only terrifying, it was humiliating. It was late evening so most of the slaves were in the courtyard eating the leftovers from dinner. And he hated their amusement at his expense. Especially when the older boys would point and laugh. However, Antiva did not get into her punishment stance. She just stood there was a confused look on her face. She then turned back to her work and resumed her dusting. Thinking he was out of trouble, Leto started to slip away. However, he was pulled back by Antiva's question. "What were you doing there? You can't read and there's no pictures in barely any of those books."

Leto was hesitant in his explanation, "I know, but I like to try to figure out what is being said. I like to come up with the stories." He was still trying to gauge her reaction. He was not sure if he was in trouble or not. She had a quiet anger in her voice. He was not used to that. He was used to his mother yelling at him if she was angry.

"Does Master Carso know?" Antiva asked, still looking away from her son.

"Yes, he does. He does not mind," Leto offered quickly. He figured that if the trips held his master's approval than she would not bother him anymore with this.

She was quiet for a moment. The young boy kept still, trying not to cause more trouble. Leto came up with the logical explanation that she was angry with him and he was going to be punished for whatever rule that he was breaking. He felt his muscles tense as he waited for the inevitable hit. After a few moments, Antiva spoke, "Shame on him...getting your hopes up like that."

"Mama?" Leto questioned, not understanding who she was talking about and why she looked so upset.

Antiva turned from her work and Leto stepped back once again, still scared that she was going to hit him. However, as Antiva placed her feather duster down on a table, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. Completely and utterly confused, Leto looked up at his mother as he hugged her back. "Are you angry with me, Mama?"

Leto's mother let go of her son and ended their embrace. A broken laugh came out of his mother's mouth as she looked down at her son, "Angry? Maker give me strength and Andraste guide my path. You are not the one who made me angry. You did not do anything wrong." She bent down so they could connect eyes. She put her hands on his shoulders and told him, "When you are older, you will understand. You are just a child, Leto. You have your entire life in front of you. If you want to go to the library, than go. I will not stop you. You need to have your fun while you can. Life can change on you."

Happy that this situation was finally clear to him, Leto smiled at his mother. He did not fully understand what she was talking about, but he could figure out that he was not going to get hit or chased. Fear slowly turned into concern as he watched his mother stand up and finish her work. Wondering why she decided to give him such a confusing run around, Leto just said his goodbye to her as he went into the courtyard to play with his sister. Maybe what she said was right, that he had to become older to understand what sort of mood she had been in and what she was saying to him.

* * *

The next day was when Leto visited the library. He did his usual checking process before he walked into the library. However, he barely reached the bookshelf when he heard the door open. Hoping it was Master Carso, Leto turned to see who was in the library. His face paced heart slowed down as he saw that it was Master Carso. Leto smiled at him before he bowed his head in respect, "I apologize. I will leave you to your solitude." Before he could leave, Master Carso told him to stay.

"You do not have to leave. In fact, I am glad to find you here, Leto. I have been meaning to speak to you," Master Carso said as he went to the wooden desk that sat in front of the window, "I want to help you out. I want to make your game easier."

"How so, Master?" Leto asked, breaking the rule of questioning his master as he followed the man over to the desk.

Master Carso looked down at Leto and told him, "I am going to teach you your letters and soon I will teach you how to read."

This seemingly simple statement caused Leto's eyes to dilate as he stared at his master. His mouth opened slowly as he tried to think of a proper way to respond to this. Leto had never toyed with the notion of learning how to read. He knew that it was unlikely of happening, but Master Carso was there to outright teach him.

"I-I-I-you-I-thank-you," Leto stuttered as he took in this news.

"Do not thank me," Master Carso laughed, "It should have been done when you were younger. Sit down," he told him as he patted the chair in front of the desk, "Why don't we start with your name?"


	4. Down These Stairs

**Chapter Four: Down These Stairs**

"Good, good. You are an excellent scribe," Master Carso praised as Leto wrote on the paper. Leto felt a smile as he looked up to his master. He dipped his quill back into the ink well before he resumed his writing. After Leto learned his letters, Master Carso had him copy books in order to practice them. After a book was finished, Master Carso would patiently take him through each word and teach him how the words would work together to make thoughts or actions. It was an exciting concept that Leto enjoyed with every ounce in his body.

"Thank you, sir," Leto said, flushing slightly. He never expected for his master to take interest in him outside of Leto's use as a slave. In fact, Leto was not sure that Master Carso was even aware of his existence. The meeting in the library was the first time they ever spoke face to face. It was a curious relationship. The more Master Carso praised him, the more Leto sought to please him. Even after the day's lesson was done, Leto would stay after and practice his writing into the late hours of the night. His mother was not too happy about Leto spending so much time in the library, but she allowed him to do so. His work of the day would be done and he spent an adequate time with his family so Antiva could not complain too much.

A few weeks had passed since Leto began these lessons. It only took him a few days to understand the letters, what sounds they made, and how they went together. Within week's end he was able to write them. They were written sloppily, but they were still legible. Leto finally had something to take pride in. He knew that reading and writing for a slave was illegal. But perhaps when Master Carso would sell him, he could be a bookkeeper for a criminal organization. That would be exciting.

Leto knew that it was odd for a slave to have any ambitions for life. They lived day by day, accepting whatever would come. They dared not have dreams, they dared not have hopes. Each would be crushed. Falling in love was never spoken. Many did, rebelling against the advice given to them, only to watch their lover being taken away from them either by a sale or by death by a cruel master. He often wondered what life would be like if he wasn't a slave. What if everything stayed the same, the only difference was he was free? The possibilities to life would expand and multiply beyond comprehension. Forget bookkeeper for criminals. He could be a scribe for royalty. This thought kept the smile on his face as he continued with his writing.

* * *

The next day, Master Carso left the mansion. He was meeting with a buyer for Alexa and he brought the young girl with him. Leto did not see his sister off. He only told Varania to tell her that he wished her the best of luck. Leto did not know when Master Carso would back and he thought it outside his place to outright ask the man. Antiva was close to her time to deliver her baby, so she kept to her bed. Varania never left her side unless it was to fetch food for her mother. As soon as his chores were done, Leto ran upstairs to the library to work on his writing. He intended to work on his reading and he was sure to impress his master.

However, as he got settle in front of the desk, he heard the door begin to open. Fear and panic began to assault his heart. He jumped out of the chair and rolled under the desk. He bent his knees and pulled them together. He took a shaky breath, hoping he would not be found. Only Mistress Lily remained in the mansion and even though she was a woman, he could only imagine what she was capable of. And her long fingernails could claw his eyes out like a rabid falcon. What use could he be if he was blind? How in the world was he going to learn to read if he couldn't see the books?

As the door opened, Leto heard the soft footsteps of a woman. Then there were the heavy footsteps of a man. Leto glanced over to see Mistress Lily and an older man walk into the room. Scared he would be noticed, Leto looked back to the wood of the desk and tried to keep as still as he could.

"It really has been too long, Danarius," came the pleasant voice of the young Mistress Lily. Leto heard the footsteps stop.

"Yes it has, sister. I have been busy, you have been busy. It is such a shame," said the voice of the older man. It was a smooth voice that came out. Charismatic and charming.

Leto never had the occasion of speaking to Danarius. He never even saw him before this moment. He only heard the name in conversation between Master Carso and Mistress Lily. All he knew was that he was Mistress's Lily older brother. And he did not approve of his sister's marriage to an elf, high magister or not.

After many moments on whether debating if this was a wise decision or not, Leto took a chance and looked over at Danarius. From this angle, Danarius appeared taller than what he probably was. He had dark unruly hair with a bluish black tint to it. There was a faint trace of facial hair on his face. What caught Leto's attention was his eyes. They were light brown, almost yellow. Almost unnatural. They held something dark in their portals. Something that hungered, something that coveted, something that lusted. As Danarius walked over to the bookshelf, Leto noticed how he walked. He swaggered with a purpose, like he owed the room, not Master Carso. He walked like he was the Maker's gift to Earth. The more Leto thought about it, the more he disagreed with the notion that he walked. Instead he strutted, like a prideful and demanding cat.

Even as Leto looked away, he could not get those eyes out of his mind. Those eyes were evil. And that terrified him.

"You seem to age everyday," Danarius said as he picked a book off the top shelf. Leto forced himself to keep his mouth shut and not yell to the man that they were Carso's private collection.

"Is it that noticable?" Mistress Lily asked, putting her hand to her middle aged face. She ran her fingers over her wrinkles before sighing, "I always knew that aging gracefully was too much to ask."

"I blame Carso and all the stress he puts on you," Danarius said as he opened the book and looked through it.

"You are like a parrot, Danarius," Mistress Lily said, trying to laugh it off, "Must you always say something bad about my husband?"

Danarius chuckled softly as he continued reading the book, "I only tell you to do what you should have done years ago. Leave him, come back home. I will always be there to welcome you and take care of you, sister."

"I am not going to talk to you about this, Danarius," Mistress Lily said with an icy voice, "I am not having this conversation with you again. I told you when you met him, I told you before I walked down the aisle to marry him, I told you when I found out about his affair with a fellow elf, I told you when I found out about his bastards, and I am telling you now. I am not leaving him."

"Don't tell me that you still love the man?" Danarius asked, looking up from the book.

Mistress Lily snorted before giving a full fledged laugh, "Love? You think love makes me forgive and forget? You think love makes me stand by his side? You think love keeps me happy when I bounce around for him in our bed once a week? You think that love keeps me from leaving? You're a fool, Danarius. I stay because I worked too hard to get where I am now."

Leto sighed in relief as he watched Danarius put the book up and as he escorted his sister out of the room. This was too stressful a situation for him. He never heard Mistress Lily talk so awfully about her husband. And it took all of Leto's strength not to storm out and defend his master and his morals to the last breath. Perhaps he should have.

Perhaps he should ask Master Carso about what Mistress Lily was talking about. Then he would have his answers.


	5. Little Boy Blue And The Man In The Moon

**Chapter Five: Little Boy Blue And The Man In The Moon**

The screams and howls of Antiva gave little comfort to Leto as he sat with his sisters in the next room. Varania was leaning against him and Suri was sitting in his lap. The little girl was sucking her thumb as Leto ran his hand over her blonde hair. Antiva was in the process of delivering her child. A midwife was called in to help her. This struck Leto as odd. Usually it was another female slave that helped her. However, Master Carso had called in a midwife of great expense. Then again, things were not going according to plan. Antiva had been in labor for almost fifteen hours. Usually it would last two hours at the longest.

Leto sighed as he leaned his head up to the wall and took in a deep breath. He could only hope. He knew there was a chance that this baby would kill his mother. He didn't want to face this, but he had to. It was scary. This was his mother, his only parent. He had no father to fall back on. He didn't know what he would do without her.

Varania and Suri had fallen asleep. Their heads leaned against Leto's shoulder and stomach as they welcomed his warmth and comfort. They were able to drown out their mother's cries and screams. Leto wondered how this was possible. But then again they had been up for an entire day. They should be exhausted, especially Suri. Leto allowed himself to close his eyes. And maybe if he fell asleep, he would wake up to a well mother and another pink brother or sister to tend to.

Maybe…

* * *

"Leto…Leto wake up," Varania said. Leto heard the voice whisper in his ear. He groaned as he moved his head away from the voice and tried to go back asleep. He then felt a small pair of hands on his arm. It started to shake him, "Leto, wake up." He finally opened his eyes and looked around. He found his little sister sitting next to him. She still had her hands on his arm.

"Is Mama okay?" Leto asked, finally remembering the situation.

Varania nodded, "She's fine. Master Carso sent for a healer. She is asleep."

"And the child? Is it your girl?" Leto asked, smiling in amusement. He was happy that his mother was well. Anything else would be a bonus.

His little sister looked down at the floor before she said, quickly, "It was a boy…And he is dead. He could not breathe the air…"

A frown replaced his smile as he looked away from her. He had taught himself not to get attached; yet there was pain growing in his heart. This was a baby. It did not even have a chance of life. As a slave or not, it was still life. The Maker's most precious gift.

"Leto," Varania called out once more. She grabbed his chin and made me look at her, "Mama is doing well…But the healer said that she's too hurt. She cannot carry another child. She has no use. Mistress Lily wants to sell her."

And with that, Leto stood up, knocking his sister off her, "What? No, she cannot do this!" No, no, no…His mother…He couldn't be separated from her. No, not now. He looked down at his sister. She was on the floor. She started to cry as she looked up at him.

"I want my Mama…I want my Mama…" Varania said, reverting back to a child of four. She appeared to be taking this information as hard as Leto. Perhaps telling Leto about this made it real.

Leto opened the door and ran out into the hallway. He searched for Master Carso, knowing that he would never sell Antiva. He had to hear that from the man.

He could not find the man in the courtyard or on the first floor. His only hope was the library. Leto ran up the stairs and opened the door without knocking or seeing if anyone was inside. He looked inside and found Master Carso pacing in front of the window. The older elf had dark circles under his eyes. There were small blue flames coming from the tips of his fingers as he went back and forth in front of the window.

"You cannot sell my mother," Leto said as he shut the door behind him. He said, raising his voice, "Don't let your wife do this."

Master Carso stopped in front of the desk and stared out in the window. Leto could see his reflection in the window. Master Carso had a small smile on his face.

"Most slaves would be killed for what you have said," Master Carso commented before he turned to Leto. The smile was still on his face.

"Then kill me," The younger elf said, standing tall. He approached his master, "As long as my mother stays with here with my sister. You cannot split us up. Not now…You might as well have sold the both of us at birth than to toy with us with the notion of a family." He felt his lower lip tremble. He fought to control it, "Please…"

There was a long silence before Master Carso walked over to Leto. He put his hand on his shoulder. Leto looked up at him, wondering if he would be struck for his rebellion and sharp tongue.

"Leto…You have nothing to fear," he said as he faced the child, "Lily will rant and rave about what she wants but I will be damned before I give into her. Your mother is not going to be sold. I will not do that. It is despicable. I will find a use for her, don't you worry about that." Master Carso then said, his smile becoming brighter, "I swear to you, Leto. As long as I am alive, you will not have to see your mother leave. As long as I breathe this air, I will make your life as comfortable as possible." His smile became sad, "You were born under such unfortunate circumstances, Leto. If things were different, this would not be your life. But that is the luck of the draw."

With wide eyes, Leto continued to look at this man. He was unable to figure him out. That frightened him.

"Come," Master Carso said as he took Leto's hand, "I will take you and your sister to your mother. I imagine you want to see her."

Leto nodded with anticipation, "I do! I do!"

Master Carso laughed as he looked down at him, "Of course you would. Let us get your sister and some flowers. Your mother would like some flowers, wouldn't she?"

"Yes she would," Leto said, "Can we get daisies? They're her favorite flower. She says that daisies always make her feel better."

There was a twinkle in Master Carso's eye as he slowly nodded, "I know…Antiva's mother worked in the garden of her former master…She always looked forward to stealing daisies when no one was looking."

"That's right," Leto commented, knowing this story well, "And that when she was sold to you, she would cry once a week because there was never any flowers. And then one day-"

"She woke up and looked out the window to see that there was a garden filled with thousands of daises," Master Carso finished. There was a small smile on his face, "And she was so excited, she abandoned her chores for the day to go play in them like she was a child once again."

Leto cocked his head as he looked to his master. He didn't know that he knew about this story. And if he did, why didn't he punish Antiva for such blatant disobedience?

Yes, Master Carso was an odd man.

* * *

A week had passed. Antiva was still bedridden, but the healer said that she would be able to get out by the week after. It was news that made Leto happy.

"Your flowers are dying," Leto said as he greeted his mother for his daily visit. Last week he had put the daises in a vase and placed them near his mother's bed. The flowers were now losing color and they were wilting. He then offered, "I will ask Master Carso for more-"

"No," Antiva said, shortly. Realizing that she sounded angry, Antiva took a minute to calm herself before she told him, "You shouldn't bother Master Carso about things like that. He is being a very, very generous man and you should not push your luck."

"Yes, Mama," Leto said, obediently as he went to fluff his mother's pillow. He didn't understand. Master Carso had told him that if he, Varania, or his mother needed anything all he had to do was ask. Why wouldn't his mother want to take up on his hospitality?

Within the moment, Varania came in with a smile on her face. She greeted her mother with a squeal and she hugged her immediately. Antiva laughed as she went to grab both her children. Leto couldn't help but laugh as Antiva pulled them both on the bed and started to tickle them.

As Leto laughed, his head moved as he tried to get away from his mother's playful touch. As his head moved, he looked over at the flowers.

They were alive.


	6. Bliss and Time

**Chapter Six: Bliss and Time**_**  
**_

_**Six years later…**_

With a soft grunt, Leto let the axe down and he watched as the blade split the log like a pumpkin. But instead of juices flowing, there was soft dust coming from the wood. Leto smiled down at the fruits of his labor and grabbed yet another log. He continued his work at a steady pace and tried to ignore the fatigue attacking his muscles.

The fifteen year old slave had graduated from light housework to hard labor. He was one out of the three young men that worked at chopping logs. The logs would go to warm the large mansion, whether it be in the fireplaces or under the tubs where the master and mistress took their baths. It was a humble service, but Leto took it with pride.

Gone was the juvenile, scrawny boy that spent all his time in the library, watching his arms and legs waste away under the yoke and pull of a large book. The reading lessons with Master Carso had started to grow rare. The man became more and more busy with the affairs of the magisters. Leto accepted this and he rarely ventured into the library. He did not want to intrude on his master's studies. Sometimes, late at night, he would come into the library. He would light a candle and pick up a small book to read. He could get through a few simple words and could grasp the concept of the story. Other than that, he was at a standstill in his literacy. He remembered one night. He had fallen asleep in the leather back chair. And when he woke up, he found Master Carso shaking his shoulder gently. He watched as the man put his fallen book up and listened as he offered the slave breakfast. Master Carso never ceased to confuse Leto, but the young elf would not have it any other way.

"Tired, Leto?" asked Dizen. Leto glanced over to his friend. Dizen was an older boy of about seventeen years. He had plain features that include his dull brown eyes and brown hair. However what drew attention to him was his Dalish tattoos. Every time Leto would look at him, he was reminded of a great tree. The designs crossed across his face and resembled tree branches. He also was extremely tall for an elf, often at times towering over humans. The young Dalish elf had been bought about six months ago. From what Leto knew, he had gotten lost from his tribe when they were traveling to a new campsite. Slave traders had captured him and sold him to Master Carso. Over the last six months, he had spent countless hours trying to escape.

"Yes, I am," Leto commented as he set the axe on the stump. He wiped the sweat off his face and looked out at the mansion, "We should be getting back. Mistress Lily would want her warm bath about now."

"Let the woman take her bath cold. It will not kill her," Dizen sneered as he went to pick up the wood.

Leto sighed as he picked up some of the wood as well, "It may not kill her, but it will harm us. She would not be amused."

Dizen rolled his eyes as he walked back to the mansion. Leto followed after him. The two walked in silence.

"How is your sister?" Dizen asked. A week ago, Varania had gone to some sort of magister for lessons. She had fully discovered her magical talents after she turned twelve. Master Carso had kept it a secret until he thought she would need lessons. That caused a long and terrible argument between Master Carso and Mistress Lily. The hostility between the husband and wife had increased to the point that they did not even pretend to like each other. As far as the gossip went, they no longer slept in the same bed.

Like what was stated before, Leto took pride in the fact that he worked at cutting wood. Because there was an alternative that he wanted nothing to do with. Mistress Lily picked one of the slaves as her consort a few weeks ago. Luckily another was chosen over him. Apparently he was too skinny for his mistress's taste. Leto never had a chance to check himself in a looking glass before, so he could not see whether or not he was "too skinny" or if he was not handsome. Varania was growing into a pretty young lady and Antiva was always a beautiful creature whether young or old. Leto had no idea about his father, but he figured that attractiveness was a hereditary trait. However, he did not think on it much. After all, what use did handsomeness give him? Sometimes, when he walked down the halls, he would hear whispers about how much he resembled Master Carso. Leto just dismissed this. Why would he look like him?

"Varania is well, as of her last letter," Leto said, "She should be back by the end of the week." Finding out about Varania's talent had caused something to form within his stomach. He would often watch her as she formed tiny little balls of ice in her hands to amuse the younger slaves. He would often look at his own hands and wonder why he had no magical talent either. Why did it chose her and not him?

The two reached the mansion and went to put the wood into the stock pile. Leto leaned against the stacked wood and tried to calm his panting down. He glanced over and watched as Dizen took his shirt off. He used the material to wipe the sweat off his face. As he turned, Leto saw the welts on his back and the burn marks on his arms. Yes, Mistress Lily was not the woman to be amused.

* * *

The one thing that Leto enjoyed about the life of a slave in Master Carso's mansion was the weekly underground parties that took place. In the underground basement of the mansion, most of the slaves would gather with smuggled alcohol and instruments. It gave a little bit of joy and light in the dismal life of a slave.

Leto loved dancing and drinking with the few people he allowed into his small circle. He knew because of his young appearance, he would not catch the attention of many of the women. Yet he caught the eye of some of the young girls. He had discovered the mystery of women earlier in his youth. They were a curious people. And these women were different from his mother and sister. They held no tie with him so he could not talk to them as easily as he could to men. And he had a hard time speaking to people to start with.

"Here you go, Leto," Dizen said as he gave his young friend a mug of ale.

"Thank you," he said as he took the alcohol and poured it down his throat.

Dizen smiled as he whispered into Leto's ear, "This is the week. I have a plan if you want to come with me."

"You say that every week of every month, yet you are still here," Leto told the boy. Constantly trying to escape was not a bright idea. He was not all that smart, but the boy was very persistent. Those traits made Dizen ideal to run the government if ever he got the chance.

"No, no, I have a good plan this week," Dizen said, confiding in his new found friend in this confined existence, "See, Carso is having guests over for the summer."

"Yes, the Couslands from Fereldan," Leto commented, knowing this well, "What of it?"

"This is the week they arrive. That gives the guards plenty of distraction so I could escape," Dizen said with a large grin on his face.

"That is it?" Leto asked, trying not to laugh, "This is the plan you call 'good'. I hate to see one of your bad ones." He finally let out a chuckle.

"At least I am trying to leave," Dizen said, angrily. He tried to keep his voice down so he could not draw attention to himself. However this was an unnecessary precaution. It was late in the night so many of the slaves were either drunk or preoccupied with the opposite sex. They would not notice the ranting of a slave that had not learned his place yet.

"Why do you stay here? You are young, you are strong. You know these walls better than I do. Why have you not tried to escape yet?" Dizen asked.

Leto stared at Dizen, trying to figure him out, "Why would I escape? Chances are that I will be caught and sent back here. Or I'll go to a new master that would treat me horribly. Master Carso is a good man and I have been lucky to have this life."

"Lucky?" Dizen asked, his mouth wide, "Do you call this life lucky? You are a slave, Leto. You could be so much more. Yet, you stay here like a...like a..." He searched around for the words before he finally spat it out, "Like a fat cat in the lap of his master. And you will claw and bite whoever tries to take you away. But I know that is not the true you. Leto...You cannot stand there and tell me that you are content with this life? That you count this as luck? Haven't you ever thought about what life is like outside these walls? Have you ever thought of trees, of freedom, of life, of love? Haven't you ever stared out into the sky and watch the stars go by and ask the Creators for freedom?"

Finishing his monologue, Dizen said nothing more and stared at Leto. He put his hand on his cheek and forced him to look at him. "Don't you _want_ to be free?"

Leto took his hand off his cheek and turned from him, "We all want things, Dizen. That does not mean we get them or we are meant to have them. Whatever happens will happen...It could be worse, do you not know that?"

Like an oxygen starved fish, Dizen's mouth wavered before he said, his voice full of emotion, "Well of course it can be worse. I could have been killed when they tried to take me. You could have had a different master, one that would beat you and separate you from your family and have you die before you have even lived. Yes it _could_ be worse. But that does not mean that you do not deserve better. You cannot sit there and wait for destiny to lead you on the right path."

And with his cold eyes, he remembered why he did not allow himself the privilege of friends, "You have someone to go home to, don't you, Dizen? You have family, you have friends, you have an entire clan. I have only two people. My mother and my sister. They are here. If I leave, they would stay here alone. I'm not that selfish. Maybe it's easier for you. And I hope you can go back to your clan. Do not get me wrong. But don't you stand there and judge me when know nothing about being a slave."

And with that, Leto took a last drink before he threw the mug on the floor and left.

* * *

Thank you guys for reading. Please Review.

Oh! And to my top 40 fans, am I cray to think that the "Don't Wanna Go Home" music video reminds me of Fenris? :D Haha, love you guys...


	7. Worth The Risk

**Chapter Seven: Worth The Risk**

Leto and Dizen had not exchanged word or glance as they had worked on their chores the next day. This caused awkwardness in both the young men. They had thought they would find friendship in each other, yet their argument the night before caused them to give each other the silent treatment. Neither one of them wanted to pour alcohol on the flame.

The first time Dizen spoke to Leto was when he brought his attention to the carriage that was entering the estate.

"There is the Couslands. They are having a dinner tonight with Carso and Lily. That should give me plenty of time to slip the guards and get at least a three-hour head start. Maybe even as much as twelve if they do not notice I'm gone by sunrise," Dizen said, his voice getting giddy with excitement.

"What of the mabari?" Leto asked, casually.

"What mabari?" Dizen asked, his voice becoming somber at this question.

"The dogs that guard the outer estate. Master Carso bought them two months ago in preparation. He wants the family to feel as at home as possible. They're Fereldan, so they probably brought one of their own, so you have about twelve of them to deal with," Leto said, continuing on his work, "You can't escape if your limbs are being digested, now can you?"

"I...I did not know that," Dizen said, his voice wavering. He tried to come up with another plan as he continued to look at the carriage, "I suppose I could..." His voice trailed off and Leto heard him take a deep gulp.

Leto looked up and saw that he was still looking at the carriage. "What is the matter?" Leto asked as he went to get another log.

"Did you see her?" Dizen said, his voice rising an octave, "Are you seriously asking me what's the matter?"

"What are you going on about now?" Leto asked as he set the log on the stump and went to chop it.

"Look!" Dizen insisted as he grabbed Leto by his hair and forced him to look at the carriage.

"Dizen, let go of me," Leto said as he squirmed under the grip. Deciding to amuse him, Leto looked at the carriage and whatever female he was speaking of.

And then he understood.

Stepping out of the carriage was one of the most beautiful girls he had come across. She was about Leto's age, perhaps a year older. She had a simple innocence about her that Leto had never seen before. She had long black hair that reached the small of her back. And even from the distance, Leto could see her large green eyes that reminded him of the emeralds of Mistress Lily's rings. She was wearing a form fitting green dress that brought out the eyes that shined so brightly. The dress was cut low to reveal her cleavage, but not enough to rival with harlots. She was helped out of the carriage by a young man that resembled her slightly, but he was nowhere near as good looking as she was.

The man was speaking to her and Leto heard her laugh. It was a short and sweet sound, like a freshly plucked cord.

"For a shem, she's something to look at, isn't she?" Dizen commented.

"Yes...yes she is," Leto admitted as he watched the two leave to go into the mansion. They were followed by an older couple and a large mabari hound.

"Bet you she's all lonely. She's going to be here for an entire summer with just her family and the Yvenens as company," Dizen started out as he went back to the work.

"Yes, she would be lonely," Leto said, slowly as he continued to watch her into she was finally out of sight.

"Leto, you sly dog, do not be thinking what I think you are," Dizen told him, chuckling.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Leto said, honestly not knowing why Dizen was smirking at him in this manner.

"You're thinking about bedding her aren't you?" Dizen laughed.

The mere question made Leto freeze as blood rushed to his cheeks. He gripped on the axe with a fierce tightness so it would not fall out of his shaking hands.

"Of course I am not thinking about that," Leto said with a wavy voice, "Even if I were so incline to 'bed her' as you say, it could not happen. The chances of you escaping are better than the chances of her noticing my existence."

"Come on, Leto, do not mark this off. She does not seem the type to reject you just because you are a slave," Dizen said before adding, "If anything, that attitude of yours will be what turns her away."

Leto rolled his eyes before he calmed his rushing blood and returned to his work, "Besides, do you understand how much trouble I could get myself and my family in? We are already on thin ice with Mistress Lily. And with Master Carso leaving so often for his duties, she could do as she pleases. As she needs is one reason to sell us and split us up. And what better reason than me advancing on a noble lady?"

"Who says she has to know anything about it?" Dizen commented.

"I'm not taking that risk for a girl that I will never see again," Leto told him, angrily, "Now will you please just shut up. Is that too much to ask?"

Dizen just laughed at him, "You are wound far too tight, Leto. One day you are just going to explode, I know it."

"And I pray that the only one around is you," Leto muttered as he went on with his chores and ignored Dizen to the best of his abilities.

* * *

"Mother, do you know the name of the Cousland daughter?" Leto asked, trying to be as subtle as possible. He was epically failing, but he didn't care at this point. He wanted to give a name to this figure that had been haunting his mind since he saw her hours before.

Antiva looked up from her scrubbing and glanced at her son for a moment before she went on with her cleaning, "Rose or Roslyn or Rosalind or something like that. Why do you ask?"

"Here, Mother, let me," Leto said as he bent down and took the cleaning materials, "You shouldn't be on your hands and knees. Not with your back."

She just sighed as she stood up, shaking as her muscles began to adjust, "Thank you, dear. But tell me, why do you want to know her name?"

"I was just curious," he told her as he scrubbed the marble floor that was located in one of the guest bedrooms.

"Funny you should ask," Antiva said, "This is supposed to be her room for the summer. I just got through putting away her things. Such a nice girl."

"What is she like?" Leto asked, almost too eagerly.

There was a short pause before Antiva said, reluctantly, "Well, I do not know that much about her. Just that she was kind to the slaves that assisted her and that she hates wearing dresses. I could see the trousers under her dress, you can tell how uncomfortable she was in that outfit."

Leto just nodded as he began to scrub harder, hoping to make the room as presentable as possible for Rose/Roslyn/Rosalind.

"Why such an interest? We have had guests here before? You never even bothered to know their names," Antiva said, hoping that it was an innocent reason.

He stopped his motion for a minute before he looked up at his mother. He just smiled, "No reason."

The mother just shook her head before she watched him clean for a moment, "You don't have to do this, Leto. You've been working harder than I have."

"Yes, but I'm young. You aren't," Leto said as he finally finished cleaning. He stood up and walked over to his mother, "You know that if I could...I would find a way to free you."

Antiva just stared at him and asked, confused, "Why do you say this? You know there is little chance of that happening."

"But if the chance will come, I would take it without hesitation. I will pay whatever price and I will do it with a smile on my face," Leto said. She was right though. He had never really thought of a way to free his family. Not before he met Dizen...

She just laughed as she listened to Leto's words. She put her hand on his cheek, "You're a good son...with noble ideas. The best a mother could ask for. I hope your brothers and sisters could have been the same." She let out a sad sigh as she went for the door, "Come. The Couslands should be coming up any minute now."

"I wonder why Master Carso allowed me and Varania to stay and not the others," Leto said as he followed after her, "What made us special?"

His mother turned to him and she looked into his eyes, "Perhaps you should ask him why...and you will find more answers than you would ever want."

"Mother?" Leto questioned.

"Come, you can help me clean the dishes since you are such a good boy," Antiva told him as she made her way down the stairs.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review. Oh and how is Legacy? I haven't gotten it yet.


	8. The Game Of Chance

**The Game Of Chance**

It turns out that the true first name of the Cousland daughter was actually Elissa, but her older brother and her parents called her Rosie. Evidently, she was called Rosie because of her gentle nature and that fact that she adored roses. Her father had a special nickname for her. Pup. However, she was usually referred to as Rosie.

The first time that Leto and Rosie spoke was when he was leaving the library while she was leaving her room. It was late at night, perhaps around three in the morning. As Leto closed the door to the library, he noticed the girl looking at him from the doorway of the room. They locked eyes for a moment before he mustered out a question, "Do you like your room, miss?" He was unsure on what he should call this girl. He didn't know what slaves would call guests in Fereldan.

"Yes, I do. It's very nice," Rosie said. Her voice was soft and playful, like how a kitten would sound if it had a voice, "I like the daisies in there."

"I figured you would like them," Leto offered up, almost too quickly. He paused and flushed before he said rapidly, "I mean...I thought it would be nice to put some flowers in there for you."

"You put them there?" Rosie asked as she looked him over, "That was really nice of you...You didn't have to do that."

Not sure on what to say, Leto kept his mouth shut so he could avoid future embarrassment.

Instead, Rosie continued talking, "Usually, when people have me over and they put flowers in my room, they put roses. I love them, but I don't like how people who don't know me assume that just based in my name. It's childish." She gave an awkward chuckle, "What a stupid thing to say."

"No, no, it's fine," Leto said, "I didn't mean to bother you. I just wanted to ask if the room was adequate, miss."

A faint blush came on Rosie's cheek, "Don't call me miss…It sounds so foreign…" She then added quickly, "Not foreign because this is Tevinter, I mean it sounds strange to me. Oh, no, I'm rambling…Fergus warned me about this. Just don't call me miss. Call me Rosie."

Leto looked at her, curiously. He hadn't come across a creature like her. Usually most would jump at the chance to take advantage of the situation. They would make him call them 'master' or 'mistress' and would order him around like he was their own. And Leto was powerless to respond. But Rosie did not do this.

"Is you say so, Rosie," Leto said. The name rolled off his tongue like he had been saying it all his life.

"Thank you," she said, sighing in relief, "Now what do I call you?"

He was about to ask why 'slave' was not an appropriate title when he heard a door creak open.

His eyes wandered to it and he shook slightly when he saw Mistress Lily was the one who had opened the door.

She peered out of her bedroom door and she gave a large, insincere smile to Rosie, "Oh, Elissa, dear, what are you doing up? Is this slave bothering you?" After walking out of her bedroom, she shot daggers with her eyes at Leto before returning to her fake kindness to Rosie.

"Oh no," Rosie said, earnestly, "I was just thirsty, so I-"

"Leto, make yourself useful and get the girl something to drink," Mistress Lily snapped like a rattlesnake. She was now close enough to Leto that he could smell her. It was the smell of sweat and sin and smoke. She must have been with Kanden tonight. Leto would offer his condolences when he would next see the boy.

"Yes, mistress," Leto said, obediently, as he started to go downstairs.

"That's not necessary," Rosie started, "I can get it myself."

Leto could hear the smile in Mistress Lily's voice as she spoke to Rosie, "Oh, but you are a guest, dear. Please, go back to bed. He'll be back with some water. Won't you, boy?"

"Yes, I will," He said, automatically, as he took the first step down the stairs.

"If you insist…" Rosie said before she went back into her room.

After the door closed, Mistress Lily chuckled, "I would like to see them have bitches so well trained. Isn't that right, Leto, aren't you a good little trained bitch?"

"Yes, I am," Leto forced out. He knew better than to cause trouble with the mistress. It was not worth it. It was a lesson Dizen had not learned yet. He tried to convince him it was better to agree with her than try to argue. Or else you'd get the whip. Beneath her long sleeves, Mistress Lily possessed well-toned arms that could strike and strike for an hour without her even breaking a sweat. And still, when he was on the floor, covered in welts, Dizen would just look up at her and laugh before asking, "Is that all you have, _Mistress_?"

* * *

Leto mocked surprise as he greeted Dizen the next morning, "Oh, you are still here? What happened to your epic plan?"

Dizen rolled his eyes, "Good morning to you too. It's been put on hold for a few days. Until I figure out how to get around the mabari."

"Well, all the luck to you," Leto said as he grabbed the axe and set on his work.

"What about you and the girl? Have you even spoken to her?" Dizen asked, laughing.

"In fact, I did," Leto said, almost boldly.

Impressed, Dizen looked him over, "Oh, did you now? Good job, Leto. Now what did I tell you? My chances of escaping have drastically improved now."

"I hate you," Leto muttered as he put a log on the stump and split it with his axe, "Now, stop being lazy and get to work."

Dizen tsked before he grabbed his own axe and started on his work.

"You know, I never missed my friends and family this much," Dizen started, "I wonder if they remember me…"

"Oh no, I doubt anyone would forget you," Leto said, trying not to show any concern or pity for Dizen. It would only encourage him.

Dizen didn't retort with a snappy comeback or an insult about Leto's lack of friends. He just sighed, "Do you know why I was separated from my clan?"

"Why?" Leto asked as he looked over to Dizen. He watched as the older man looked down at the ground.

"I got separated because I had an argument with my friends. It was me, Tamlen and Mahariel. See, I had feelings for Mahariel, but she was with Tamlen. I acted like a spoiled child and I ran away rather than let Mahariel see my pride and manhood wounded. Merrill had followed after me, but I made her go back. I wanted to be alone," Dizen said. His voice seemed far off, "I found this tree. I just sat under it and fumed like you do when you get into one of your moods. I did not know how long I was there…But I let my guard down. I saw them come for me. And before I could get my bow, it was too late…I yelled for my friends…But they must not have heard me. They must have been too far away." He frowned as he looked down, "Knowing Merrill, she would have told the Keeper and the Keeper would have said, 'Let him wonder about. He'll come back when he's calmed down'…She knew me so well…"

Dizen looked to Leto, "So, that question about why I want to escape…Does this answer satisfy you? All I want is my clan, my friends, my family back. I would even sit back and allow Mahariel to stay with Tamlen as long as she was happy. And as long as I could stay with them."

Leto said nothing as he thought over what Dizen told him. He couldn't imagine being seperated from his sister or his mother for a week much less six months.

As he looked up and started to respond Dizen's story, he noticed that Rosie was walking through the grassy clearing, no more than perhaps a quarter of a mile away from them. She was wearing leather armour instead of her dresses. Her hair was pulled up in a long ponytail and she was wearing boots on her feet. She didn't seem to notice Leto or Dizen.

"Go talk to her."

Leto turned and saw that a smile had replaced the frown on Dizen's face. The older elf nudged him, "I'll take your chores…You deserve a day off anyway…"

_Foolish boy. Always trying to escape, selfless, stubborn, doesn't fail to make others smile…He's so stupid...Maker help us if there is another..._


	9. Hungry Eyes

**Chapter Nine: Hungry Eyes**

"Rosie," Leto started as he slowly found his way within the girl's eyesight.

The girl turned around to see who was calling her. Confused at first, her eyes widened and she smiled as she found Leto. "Oh, hello," Rosie smiled. Her skin seemed to glow under the intense summer sun. She walked over to him and asked, "How are you today?"

"I'm doing well. How about you?" He asked, politely, before he shifted his feet. He felt his heart pump faster. His clammy hands reached for each other and Leto couldn't help but notice the very faint layer of sweat on them. He didn't understand. Why was his body acting like this? What was going on?

"I'm feeling well," Rosie said. She paused for a moment before she told him, "I know I've heard people call your name. But I can't remember it. Was it Leto?"

Leto grinned at this, pleased that she was accurate in her memory, "Yes, it is."

Rosie gave a nervous giggle before she asked, hesitantly, "Well, Leto, would you like to take a walk with me?"

"I would love to," Leto said, almost out of breath. He had no idea what he was doing. He felt like his mind was swimming.

"Is it true that there's a lake near here?" Rosie asked as she started to walk into the forest. Leto followed after her.

"Yes, it belongs to a magister that neighbors Master Carso," Leto told her as he smelled the clean smell of the trees around him.

"Do you think we can swim in it?" she asked with an excited look on her face.

Hating to rain on her parade, Leto told her, "No. It's forbidden." Seeing her happy look waver, Leto squirmed in his walk as he tried to figure out how to amuse her and keep her entertained.

"Oh, look, Leto," Rosie said as she ran over to a tree, "Carvings! In some weird language." The slave followed after her and looked at the tree. She was right. There were carvings. Leto recognized the letters. Proud of himself, he tried to make out the words.

"They're in Tevinter," she stated as her eyes squinted, "I can't read…What does it say?"

Leto tried to make out the words, "I…I don't know…" His mind started to hurt as he tried to bring the letters into words, "Something about love…and a cat…"

"A cat?" Rosie questioned in disbelief.

"Yes, a cat," Leto said, wondering why she did not see that this was indeed a large accomplishment for him. He should tell Master Carso when he got the chance.

Scared that Rosie would lose interest, Leto told her, "I know of a cavern a little ways from there. It's down this hill." He pointed down and indicated the small cave at the bottom of the hill.

Rosie frowned as she looked down.

"Leto, can you hold my hand?" She asked before she turned to him.

Shocked by this request, Leto looked down at his sweaty hand and then at her own pale, smooth hand.

"Look how steep it is…I could fall," Rosie explained as she pointed at the decrease in elevation. Leto looked at the ground and realized that her request was not made in affection.

"Oh…sure," Leto told her as he looked at his hand again. It was still clammy. He wiped it on his trousers before he offered it to Rosie, hoping that she wouldn't notice. She took his hand and entwined their fingers.

He didn't expect her to do this. Not like this. Her hand was so small in his. The tips of his fingers reached her wrist and her fingers barely passed the third knuckle.

Rosie walked over to the hill and stepped down hesitantly. Leto felt her hand clench around his. He saw that she was shaking as she looked down at the ground with wide eyes.

"What's wrong?" Leto asked.

"I'm…I'm scared of heights," Rosie told him. She stepped back up and started to back away, "It's too high. I can't, I-"

"I'll help you. I'll make sure you don't fall," Leto offered up.

"What?" She asked with a surprised look on her face.

"Don't worry. I'll catch you if you fall," Leto told her. He reached for her, but she jerked away.

"I should be getting back anyway. Mother must be worried about me," Rosie said, avoiding Leto's gaze. And without another word, she snatched her hand out of Leto's and turned from him, "…Can you take me back?"

"…Yes, I can," Leto sighed as he went to help Rosie get back to the mansion. What did he do wrong? He must have done something wrong. Why else would Rosie turn on him like this? Perhaps he should tell the story to Dizen. He seemed to know more about female motivation than he did.

* * *

"She likes you," Dizen said, bluntly, as soon as Leto finished his testimony. He took a sip of his water before he put the cup back on the table in front of him. Leto furrowed his brow in confusion and he tried to figure out what his friend was talking about.

"What?" Leto asked, "How could you get that from her refusing my help?"

Dizen turned to Leto and let out an amused laugh before he went to resume eating. As he put the meager portions into his mouth, he told him, "The Cousland girl doesn't want you to see her weak. Heights are her downfall and she's scared that she'll embarrass herself in front of you. Women are self conscious about that you know She's concerned about how you view her.. Ergo, she is fond of you. That's why she wanted to get away from you."

"…How logical," Leto said, dryly. That couldn't be the reason. Women couldn't be that silly. Why would Dizen be telling him this lie? Perhaps the man was just protecting Leto from the obvious reason. That Leto had done something wrong and Rosie no longer wanted to talk to him. That thought depressed him. He had tried to figure out what to do on his own for many weeks before he finally told Dizen the story and asked for his opinion.

A few weeks passed as the summer began to get hotter. With each day, Leto was surer that he had screwed up with Rosie and she wanted nothing to do with him. He barely saw her and when he did, she would scurry away into another room before he could call her name. Rosie was a constant strain on his mind. He hated how he thought more about her than anything else. Even when Varania came back, he was still thinking of Rosie when he hugged his sister and welcomed her home. Why was this?

Master Carso had gained a large amount of interest in Varania and spent a decent amount of time helping her tone her magical abilities. Leto would just turn his head, as Varania would gush to her mother about all the spells that she was working on. He didn't want to hear about it.

"He does look like you," Dizen said as he watched after Master Carso as he walked down the hallway and disappeared into another room.

"Don't be an idiot," Leto replied, "What makes you think he looks like me?"

"Well, you two have the same face. And the same eyes. And hair. You could be his splitting image. Varania has his smile, his eyes, his face. She is him if he was female," Dizen said, lazily. He straightened up and sighed, "Have you ever thought that…you know…"

"What?" Leto asked as he rolled his eyes. What nonsense was Dizen prattling on about now?

"That he slept with your mother and that he's your father," the Dalish elf said.

Leto let out a nervous laugh at this statement, "That is a wonderful story, Dizen. That would never happen. Bastard children of masters and slaves are drowned in a well, if lucky. Besides Mother would never do that with Master Carso. It's taboo, it's unthinkable. She would never want him in that way." There was no way. Antiva would never have…If she did, why didn't she tell him? And what of Master Carso? No, this couldn't have happen.

Dizen was silent for a moment as he frowned and looked away from him, "Did you ever think that maybe he didn't care that she didn't want him and that he-" And at that moment, he felt something around his neck.

"Finish that sentence at your own risk," Leto said with death in his eyes. One hand was clamped around Dizen's throat. The older one looked down at the hand and then at Leto's narrowed eyes. He had never seen Leto get this angry. He was furious. His cold, icy eyes promised Dizen's demise if he continued on with his statement.

Seeing that Dizen was not going to say what he was going to say, Leto took his hand off Dizen's neck. He stood up from the bench and walked away from him.

Dizen rubbed his tightened neck and he watched him for a moment before he ran after him.

"Leto, Leto," he called out as he grabbed his shoulder.

"Get your hands off me!" Leto yelled as he turned around and shoved Dizen into the wall. His hands gripped tightly on his friend's shoulders, "He did not rape my mother. I am not his child. Leave me alone and drop this issue."

"I'm sorry, I was only-" Dizen cut himself off. It was no use. Leto was not going to listen to him. He winced as he felt Leto's grip. He was getting strong.

Leto let go of Dizen and turned from him before walking down the hallway.

There was going to be another party in the basement. That meant there was going to be alcohol which meant Leto could get a drink. All could be solved.

Or complicated.

* * *

Thank you for reading. I hope you guys are having a great summer and are enjoying 'Incubus' as well. Please review and vote for the new songfic.


	10. Yes

**Chapter Ten: Yes**

Luckily when Leto found his way down the staircase into the basement, he saw that the party was in full swing. He knew that there was supposed to be this important dinner upstairs between the magisters in Tevinter. Even though they had nothing to do with the event, the Couslands were invited to join. Master Carso was hosting this event. Or it was more like Mistress Lily was. She was pulling the strings and insisting upon him taking more responsibilities. Either way, the dinner called for dozens upon dozens of wine cases. A few of the slaves were able to sneak away with a few cases and called for a party after their services were no longer needed.

The moment Leto opened the door he found that the party was in full swing. Each man had a girl in his lap and a glass in his hand. Everyone was able to forget about his or her cares for a moment.

"Leto," Varania called out. Leto turned to see that his little sister was in the lap of one of the already half drunk male slaves. She waved at him before getting off his lap and going to him.

The older brother sent a death glare to the man that once held his sister before he went to smile at her, "Are you having fun Varania?" He knew that she had recently started to attend these parties. However, he had not had the chance to ask her.

"Oh yes," she smiled as she took Leto's hands, "It's my favorite part of the week, brother." The once girlish voice morphed into a deep and sultry style despite the fact that she was only fifteen years.

"Dance with me?" Varania asked as she looked up at her brother with wide eyes as she grinned up at him.

"Of course," Leto told her, returning the smile. He spun his sister around and brought her into her arms. She gave a deep laugh before she led him in the dance, telling him stories of her day and dealings.

"Kanden has brought me flowers. Isn't that nice?" Varania asked, almost giddy in her story-telling, "Kanden tells me that being with me is like a breath of fresh air."

There was a tight grimace forming on his face, "That is nice…but are you not getting ahead of yourself?"

"Oh, don't be stupid, Leto. I just want to be a naughty girl and Kanden is as good as any other elf here," Varania told him.

He gave a heavy sigh. Another thing he didn't like was that Varania was growing up into the person her voice portrayed her to be. He also hated how Varania gushed her stories about the other slaves that she was attracted to. She even told him about if she could, she would pursue Fergus Cousland even though he did have a wife with child back in Fereldan.

But Kanden was another story. Kanden was Mistress Lily's consort. Hers and hers alone.

"Leto, you need to take more risks," Varania told him, "You will get such a thrill out of it. Maybe it will loosen you up a bit."

"I do not want to be loosened up," he responded dryly. He spun her around again and gave her a glare that said 'I don't want to talk about this, now shut up and dance'

Varania rolled her eyes as she smiled at her brother and danced with him.

It wasn't until half an hour of dancing passed that Leto turned to the doorway. And as his laughing face looked at the doorway, he saw her.

Rosie was standing there with wide, interested eyes. She was wearing a violet blue dress that was very form fitting, even more so than the others. Her hair was braided into two separate braids that coiled with each other on each side of her head. She looked at the party going on with the utmost curiosity and…was that wanting in her eyes? What did she want?

And they locked eyes for that one moment before Varania had pulled him back into the dance. Leto felt his smile leave his face as he thought of Rosie once more. He sighed before he looked at Varania, "Go, why don't you have another glass?"

"Alright," Varania smiled, "I should go talk to Kanden anyway." She put on her flirty smile before she turned to get back to the party.

Leto sighed before he instantly went over to Rosie, "Hello."

Rosie looked up to him and blushed before she looked down, "Hello Leto…" Her face turned redder as she explained, "I…I got bored and I was able to slip away and I found…I…what is this?"

He turned and looked to the party before he looked to her, "Every now and then, some of the slaves throw little…gatherings." He paused for a moment before asking, "Would you like to join us?"

Her pretty eyes blinked for a few times before she looked at the party. She bit her lower lip in nervousness before she nodded, "I would love to."

That sound made Leto's heart jump and the smile grow large on his face. He took her hand and pulled her into the middle of the room. And with every ounce of his courage, he immediately started to dance with her, not waiting for an offer or an acceptance.

At first, Rosie's body was tense, but then it started to relax under Leto's touch. However, the apprehension returned as the dance continued. It took a few minutes for Leto to see why. Other slaves had taken notice of the human girl who had penetrated the inner sanctum that was their social gathering. They did not say anything at first, but Leto could see the thoughts going through their eyes.

With Leto's mind on the others, his mind was not on his dancing. It was the sound of a sharp rip that brought him into reality.

"Oh Maker," Rosie whispered as she looked down.

As Leto looked down he saw what he had done. He had been off in his mind long enough that he had stepped down at the wrong time. He hit right on the train of Rosie's dress as soon as she moved in the opposite direction. This caused a tear in the fabric.

At first he was silent as he realized what he had done. Cursing, he started to apologize, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

Rosie looked up and interrupted him, "You've done what I've wanted to do the entire evening." And with a straight action, she grabbed the loose fabric and ripped the rest of it off. It was now considerably shorter than what it was before. Realizing that he was staring right at her soft and pretty thighs, Leto shot his head up. Rosie sighed in relief, "It was so hot in that dress." And with that, she threw the fabric to the floor without a second thought. Seeing the expensive material on the floor, three slaves eyed each other before they lunged for the fabric, knowing that even a sliver would fetch a decent price to the right bidder.

"You…are amazing," Leto told her. He had never seen anyone do something so spontaneous.

Varania could be on to something. Risks and thrills…

"If you are still hot," Leto told Rosie, "We should go to that lake." If they were caught, Leto could be severely punished. If they were caught, the neighboring magister could use him as a guinea pig for Maker knows what. If they were caught, terrible things could happen to Antiva and Varania.

But those chances were so slim…Everyone was preoccupied with the party upstairs. No one would notice them. No one would know.

"I would love to," Rosie smiled.

And with that, Leto squeezed her hand before he led her out of the room.

_And there was his first gamble…_


	11. Time Of My Life

**Chapter Eleven: Time Of My Life**

Both Leto and Rosie let out a string of laughter as they ran on the grass into the forest that separated the two mansions from each other. They held each other's hand as they sprinted through the trees. Wildlife looked up at the couple and scurried away as their feet pounded on the ground.

"Here it is," Leto told her as he saw the lake's reflection from the moonlight. The lake was at the bottom of a hole in the land. The only way to get into was a rope ladder that was worn with use.

"We can jump if you want," he told her.

Rosie looked down at the water, hesitantly, before she looked to Leto.

He looked down at their hands and he rubbed it soothingly, "We'll do it together…"

"Don't let go," she whispered like a frightened child.

"Never," he told her.

Rosie nodded as she took a deep breath.

The two ran to the edge of the cliff and as soon as their feet touched the edge, they jumped in.

Leto felt Rosie's hold on his hand tightened to the point that she was about to break his fingers. But he barely noticed it. As he saw the water come closer, he held his breath and squeezed his eyes shut.

Their bodies hit the cool water causing a large splash before the water fell silent. Leto felt his body hit the bottom of the lake just barely. The soft sand flew up in the water and landed back down. As the sand settled, Leto used his natural instincts to swim up. The moving water hinted that Rosie was doing the same thing. They let go of each other's hands as they reached the top of the water.

Taking in a deep breath, Leto opened his eyes before he turned to look at Rosie. Her hair was drenched and sticking to her pretty face. She breathed in and out before she turned to Leto and laughed.

He laughed back as he moved his limbs to keep afloat.

"No one never did something like this with me," Rosie told him. She sighed before looked down at the water, "You're not like anyone I ever met, Leto…"

Leto was quiet for a moment. He then had an idea.

"Rosie, can I kiss you?" He asked.

She looked at him with her wide beautiful eyes. She bit her lower lip hesitantly before she nodded.

He put his hand on her cheek and stared into those eyes for a moment. He then leaned down and planted his lips on Rosie's own plump lips.

The two slowly closed their eyes as their lips performed a dance with one another. Leto felt like he was floating in air, not in water. He started to lose his focus and he began to sink in the water. He quickly ended the kiss and pulled away from her.

She opened her eyes and watched as Leto opened his. She stared at him before she lunged at him. Leto felt himself knocked back against the wall that surrounded the lake. He noted that he was near the rope ladder. That thought quickly left his mind as he felt Rosie kiss him over and over again. She left the comfort of his lips and traveled down to under his chin.

Leto felt something in his body that he never felt before. It was as if he was lava rising in a volcano. He looked down and saw that Rosie had started to kiss on his neck. He felt a blush rise in his cheeks. As he felt his body fall again, he scrambled for the rope ladder and held on to it.

Rosie put her hands on Leto's shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist. He could feel the warmth from her despite the water being cold. She held on to him as she kissed him again.

Still holding on to the ladder, Leto whimpered for a moment before he kissed her back. He could tell that Rosie had not done this before, yet she seemed to have pretty accurate instincts. He only knew what Dizen would tell him in his lewd stories or what he would walk in on when he was a young child. He had never been so close a woman before.

"I love you," Rosie told him as she pulled back from him. She whispered, "I loved you since that first moment I saw you. I can't stop thinking about you, Leto. You're the only boy who ever paid attention to me and made me feel special."

Shocked by this confession, Leto continued to look at her with wide eyes as he tried to take this in. Love? He never heard of a love to could truly extend past family. Love didn't exist in this world. Tevinter was a cut throat empire with husbands and wives that only married for power. Leto saw this first hand when he saw how Master Carso and Mistress Lily treated each other.

But if it wasn't real, then why was his heart pounding so quickly and why was his eyes so drawn to her?

He responded by another kiss to her lips. He then said, whispering into her ear, "I love you too…"

Rosie smiled into the kiss. The feel of her lips moving in that fashion made Leto delirious as he continued to show his love to the girl.

As she held him, Leto could sense her shivers and shakes. "Are you cold?" He asked her.

"A little," Rosie told him.

Leto kissed her forehead before he told her, "We can climb the ladder…It will be warmer in the forest."

And with that Rosie removed herself from Leto and she watched as he turned and went to climb up the rope ladder. After seeing that it was stable, she took a deep breath and grabbed the ladder. She pulled herself up and followed after the elf.

Leto grabbed on the edge of the cliff and pulled himself up. On all fours, he turned and extended his hand to Rosie to help her up as soon as she reached the top. As he pulled her up and the two fell back down on the ground and just stared at the canopy of trees. For the moment all was quiet. If it weren't for his out of control heart, he would have fallen asleep due to the peaceful surroundings.

"I want you," was what snapped Leto back to reality. He turned and watched as Rosie looked at him with a strange look in her eyes. The young woman sat up in the grass and she moved herself over Leto. With an very adult movement, she straddled herself on Leto and bent down to kiss him.

Letting his better take control of the situation, Leto kissed back as he pulled Rosie close to him. He allowed her to remain on top. He didn't want her to get her dress even more ruined from the dirt on the ground.

And with a shy, inexperienced blush, he nodded as she whispered her request into his ear.

Dizen would be proud.


	12. Writing On The Wall

**Chapter Twelve: Writing On The Wall**

Afterwards Leto held Rosie close to him. She rested her head on his naked chest and rested her body on his shirt. They lay with each other with no movement and no noise. As if to speak or twitch would shatter the aura. After a few minutes there came a sound.

"I want to take you back," Rosie told him as Leto ran his fingers down her arm.

"What?" He asked, not sure what she was referring to or what she was talking about. He heard her clearly, but he did not understand what she meant. Rosie was a peculiar creature and she asked strange questions. It was one of the reasons he was attracted to the girl to begin with.

Rosie looked up at him and kissed his lips gently before pulling away, "I want you to come home with me. I want there to be some way you can be in Denerim with me. I never want to leave you…I don't want this summer to end…"

Leto sighed as he looked at the childish girl before him. He kissed her head, inhaling the scent before he looked up into the sky, "If things never end, we could not learn to appreciate the time we have left with people."

"That sounds something my nan would say," Rosie sighed as she ran her hand on Leto's bare chest, "Can you promise me something, Leto?"

He nodded as he put his hand on top of hers.

"Never forget me, Leto," Rosie told him, "Because I will never forget you…"

"I promise, Rosie, I will never, ever forget you," Leto swore.

* * *

"Leto, where have you been?" asked Dizen in the early hours of the next morning. The sun was barely up in the sky when the two elves met up to start their daily work. A flock of birds were sitting in the trees. They sung their song as they watched the young men speak.

Not responding to him, Leto just grabbed his axe and started on this work.

"Leto, Leto, Creators I bid you to answer me," Dizen hissed as he grabbed the axe and tried to get Leto's attention, "No one knew where you were last night. Your mother thought you were in the library, but I checked. You weren't there. I told her you were so she wouldn't worry."

"You shouldn't have lied for me," Leto said before he took back his axe.

"Well, I did. It's done. At least give me the courtesy of telling me where you were," Dizen said. He then took a small breath before he said, "I am sorry that I said those things about your mother. I did not mean to upset you."

The younger elf turned to the other and told him after a moment of silence, "I was with Rosie."

"Rosie? The Cousland girl?" Dizen asked to make sure. With a nod, Leto confirmed the question. With a small smile Dizen gave a gentle laugh, "Well do not hold out on me. What were the two of you doing all hours of the night?"

He said nothing about first, debating on whether or not this was any of Dizen's business. It wasn't any of his concern, but he was fond of the boy. He wanted to share the news. But Leto had to make something very clear to his dense friend. "This is between you and me," Leto said seriously, "You cannot. I repeat, because you are so hard headed. You cannot tell anyone what we did."

"Creators, be merciful. Of course I will not tell anyone. Have faith in me as I do for you," Dizen said, "Just spit it out."

Leto glanced around, even though there was no one else around. He then said, with a low voice, "Rosie and I went to the lake on Magister Mikel's property. And I…" He cleared his throat as his cheeks started to redden, "I stole her maidenhood."

And with a large grin, Dizen let out a long laugh before he slapped Leto on the back, "Leto! You sly dog! I knew you had it in you. Bedding a foreign noble's daughter. Well, don't fall silent now. Give me the details. Tell me everything! What's it like? She's a shem, so is it different from being with an elf?"

With a wince, Leto shot Dizen a glare as he tried to soothe the pain in his back. "Considering I have never been with an elf, I'm not sure what I can tell you," Leto said, rolling his eyes. Dizen annoyed him and he was beginning to regret telling his friend what had occurred. So far he was not impressed with Dizen and his actions as of today.

"You've never been with an elf. You need to work on that, Leto…So you've only been with humans?" Dizen asked, trying to get his friend's story straight.

"Yes…Rosie was my first," Leto said. As soon as the words exited his mouth, he tried to snatch them back in.

"She was your first?" Dizen asked with an even bigger smile on his face, "Little Leto lost his virginity to Rosie Cousland. Taking a noble is one thing, but on your first try…Congratulations, Leto." He laughed for a moment before he shook his head, "I'm sorry…I just thought that…Well, your sister gets around, so I figured like sister like brother-" He stopped himself before he cleared his throat, "Never mind, I shouldn't speak of your family."

"Especially when I'm holding an axe," Leto said, dryly, before he continued on with his work.

"A joke! You made a joke and it was somewhat amusing!" Dizen pointed out with a happy sound in his voice, "Someone mark it on a calendar."

Leto sighed softly as he just shook his head.

Life was good, wasn't it? Then why was he having such a queasy feeling in his stomach?

The two friends worked in silence. Leto was grateful for this. He needed a minute to simply think of the situation. He was a slave. Showing affection, much less falling in love, with a better was forbidden. He never even heard of a relationship like this. He was happy that the end of summer would take away this madness. Yet he didn't want it to end. That meant Rosie would leave and he didn't want her to leave. It would be easier if they were at least on the same level. If he was a noble...

However, he was not given this moment to think. As he looked up he saw two guards from the mansion approaching him. As he looked, he immediantly put his head down and stared at the grass. He knew never to look up at his betters. As they came closer, he felt his heart pound. It was like when he was with Rosie, but it started to hurt.

Certain that it was him the guards were after, Dizen began to ramble on, "Oh hello there. About those jokes about your mother, I-" Dizen was pushed to the ground as one of the guards grabbed Leto by the arm.

"Come, slave," the guard said with no emotion in his voice as he turned and started to drag Leto.

Dropping the axe, Leto tried to gain his footing as he started to stutter, "Where-where are you taking me? Why are you-"

"Shut up," the other guard snarled as he backhanded Leto across the young elf's face.

The sound of the slap startled the birds. They flew away, leaving the elves to the mercy of men.

"Hey! He didn't do anything wrong! You can't just do that to people!" Dizen yelled as he scrambled up and went to grab Leto.

The guard kicked Dizen in the stomach, forcing the Dalish elf down. He then put his foot on Dizen's throat and started to press on the bone, "If you don't want to end up like him, you'll keep yourself out of it, knife-ear." The guard took his foot off before kicking him in the face. Dizen yelled out and tried to sit up before he was kicked back down again.

"Stop it!" Leto yelled as the other guard continued to drag him away.

The words barely escaped his mouth when he felt a force attacking his voice. He lost his vision and almost lost his balance. He then felt someone grabbing his other arm. As he stumbled forward, he felt himself trip and fall on the ground.

"Get up!" One of the guards said as he yanked Leto up. The elf regained his vision and also gained the taste of blood in his mouth.

Unable to speak, Leto just started to shake in fear and panic as he was led into the mansion.


	13. In A Corner

**Chapter Thirteen: In A Corner**

When the adolescent boy was pulled into the mansion, his feet started to drag out on the marble flooring. Leto stumbled as he tried to get into the upright position. However the force and speed of the guards just caused him to slip and fall once more.

"Please, tell me what is going on," Leto begged as he looked up to the guards for any signs of pity. There was none. He should have known that it was a waste of breath. He tried to figure out what sort of offence he had done.

It wasn't until he was dragged into one of the parlor rooms that Leto looked up.

Master Carso was standing in front of the window. He was staring outside and had a frown on his aging face. Leto stopped himself from calling out to his master. As his eyes looked over the room, he found that Mistress Lily was sitting on one of the couches. She was laying on the furniture with a look of despair on her face.

"Here's the slave," the guard said bluntly as the two threw Leto to the floor.

Narrowing missing the table that was in the center of the room, Leto landed face first on the hard wooden floor. With a grunt, Leto grabbed the edge of the table and pulled himself up. He felt all eyes looking at him. Feeling a bit unsettled, he immediately looked to Master Carso. He tried to convey his confusion. Perhaps he would be given mercy if he did so.

"Dismissed," Master Carso said as he continued to stare in the window.

With a pair of bows, the two guards exited the parlor and left the elf to the mercy of his masters.

"Master?" Leto questioned as he started to shake in his fear.

The older elf sighed heavily as his eyes turned to Leto. "My wife is under the impression that you raped her."

With a shocked and disturbed look on his young face, Leto looked at Mistress Lily. She was delivering a fierce death glare to the slave.

_What is she doing? Why would she accuse me of this? What would she have to gain?_

Master Carso continued after he cleared his throat, "As obnoxious as her claims are-"

"Still don't believe that your precious Leto did it? Knife ears stick together don't they?" Mistress Lily sneered as she looked to her husband.

Leto thought he heard footsteps. He glanced over to the door to see a pair of wide eyes was looking into the room. They quickly went back behind the wall. But he knew those eyes anywhere. He prayed that the rest of the body would not show itself.

"Excuse me but I believe that I was speaking," Master Carso said as he glared back at his wife. He looked to Leto with a soft look in his eyes. With that look, Leto felt as if he was in no danger. He felt like he was protected.

Leto felt a tad bit better about the situation. He knew that his master knew him and his personality. He knew that Leto would never do something like that to Mistress Lily. But still, he wanted to know what the woman was playing at.

Mistress Lily grabbed a candlestick from the table and threw it at Master Carso, "I want him out of here!"

With a sigh, Master Carso pulled up an arcane shield and deflected the candlestick. "Lily, please calm down-"

"No I will not calm down!" She yelled as she sat up on the couch, "That little knife eared slave forced himself on me last night. I want him dead!"

Before Leto could even feel any panic at her request, he heard a loud shriek.

After turning to the door, he watched as Rosie ran into the room. Almost tripping in her fast attempt, Rosie made her way into the center of the room. "Leto didn't rape you! He couldn't have! He-he was with me last night!"

Leto turned to her, almost breaking his neck in the process, "Rosie, please don't involve yourself-"

"What were you two doing?" Master Carso asked with a curious sound in his voice.

"Yes, what were you doing?" Mistress Lily asked. Leto saw the cold and happy look in her eyes. She was coming up with a new plan. And honestly that terrified him.

"We had…we had…" Rosie started out. She was so young. To admit what she had done was so devastating, so embarrassing for her.

Hoping it was enough, Rosie told the couple, "Leto and I went into the forest…we were there until sunrise…"

"And what was a young woman and a young man doing in the woods for so long?" Mistress Lily said as she stood from the couch.

"Nothing," Rosie insisted, "We were just…we were just there…"

Master Carso looked to Rosie and then to Leto. He seemed to understand. However he did not say anything to indicate that he knew. And for that, Leto was grateful.

"Elissa, please go to your room," Master Carso said as he smiled encouragingly at her.

Rosie looked at Leto unsurely. He nodded and tried to communicate to her through thought that he would talk to her later.

She looked down before she turned and walked out of the room.

"You should have made her tell you," Mistress Lily said, snidely.

"I am not cruel enough to humiliate a sixteen year old girl about something like this," Master Carso told her.

"If she wants to spread her legs for a slave, she should learn to deal with the consequences," Mistress Lily smirked.

"Shut up," Leto muttered, not intending for her to hear what his thoughts were.

"What did you say, slave?" she asked, her voice tightening.

At first he said nothing. But then he turned to her and he stared into her lifeless eyes. "Shut up. Don't disgrace her with your words," Leto said.

Never would he ever talk back to a better, much less Mistress Lily. But he had to defend Rosie's honor. She defended him. No one stood up for him the way she did.

With a quick word, Master Carso sought to end the hostility, "Lily, please be rational. I have tried to contain your outlandish lies. Why are you so persisted on acting like a child?"

Mistress Lily crossed her arms and did not answer her husband. She just fumed in her own anger.

Master Carso shook his head before he went to leave the room. He stopped as he got to Leto. He looked down at the slave and he put his hand on his shoulder, "Stay out of trouble."

"Yes, Master," Leto said, obediently. He could tell the hidden meaning behind the statement. He would deal with that later.

As Master Carso left the room, Leto knew that he was at the mercy of his crueler wife.

Mistress Lily stared at Leto with a terrible amount of hatred in those eyes. She had balled her fists and Leto could see the drips of blood coming out of her closed hands. "Why can I not get rid of you?" she hissed with that cold look in her eyes.

"Why do you hate me?" Leto asked her. He had wondered that for a long time. She treated all the slaves badly, but he seemed to be her pet.

She just sneered at him as she walked over to him. She looked him over and her sneer turned into a smirk, "You are so ignorant…it is almost laughable."

Not wanting to listen to her, Leto went to turn away.

"Don't you dare walk away form me, you wretched knife eared bastard!" Mistress Lily suddenly screamed as she grabbed Leto's wrist and threw him to the floor. With a crazed look in her eyes, she kicked Leto in his stomach. He tried to scramble to his feet, but she kicked him down. Grunting in pain, Leto tried to curl up in the fetal position as she kicked him again and again.

The sick crack of a rib caused the slave to yell out in pain. But that didn't stop her from assaulting him further and further. The only thing that changed was that she started to kick him in his face. Leto tried once more to get up, but the kick to the face caused him to see stars and collapse.

There was darkness and then there was sleep.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading. Please review. I love constructive critism.


	14. Before I Wake

**Chapter Fourteen: Before I Wake**

_Pain…_

_Darkness…_

His eyes opened and the first thing he saw was a blur of whiteness. Blinking, Leto finally pictured in what he was looking at. It was a dark colored wall. Within the minute he saw white again and he closed his eyes. He put his hand to his stomach and could feel the harsh feel of gauze and bandages.

He felt a weight on his other hand. It was light and warm, probably another hand. His heard a blur of noises. It might have been talking. He didn't know. As the minutes went by Leto finally started to extract what the whispering was.

"You are lucky I got there in time and I was able to get him a healer," was what the male's voice was.

"Lucky? Do not tell me about being lucky," was the response. It was an older female voice.

"I'm sorry. I apologized to you on her behalf. What more do you want of me?" he questioned.

"Oh, you do not want me to tell you what I want from you," she snapped.

Leto then felt the hand rub his hand gently. He then felt the hand leave.

Then there was there was nothing.

* * *

He heard someone crying. Someone was stroking his hair. Leto couldn't open his eyes or his mouth. He could only listen and feel.

"Oh Leto," a young Fereldan-accented voice whimpered, "Please wake up…I need to see you…I have to leave soon…I can't tell Father why I want to stay…He won't accept you…Please, Leto, for me…"

"Rosie," Leto croaked before felt pain shoot through his body. He cried out before he fell back into that endless sleep.

* * *

The next time he would wake up, Leto would be coughing a thick gooey liquid going down his throat. He could feel the liquid burning the top of his mouth and his tender tongue. Full of panic, his eyes opened to see that a bottle was shoved into his throat and that a liquid was being poured into his throat. His eyes went to the hand that held the bottle. He went up the arm and saw that it was well toned, but skinny. As his hands went to take the bottle away, he heard someone yell.

"Drink it! Drink it! Die you wretch!" a loud female voiced screamed before the bottle was yanked away from his mouth. He hissed in pain as the hot liquid flew on his body and the sheets.

As soon as he gained back his sense of reality he felt the bottle hit the top of his head.

And again…

_Pain…_

_Darkness…_

* * *

"Here let me help," a heavily accented voice said. Leto could feel someone taking off his bandages. There was relief as the tightness left his body.

"Thank you, Dizen," a young female voice whispered. Her voice showed evidence that she had recently stopped crying.

As he felt the bandages leave, he fell back into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

"Oh Maker, how are we going to tell Leto?" an older woman asked.

There was a shaky sigh before a younger voice said, "We tell him…I know they were close. But you know he saw this coming."

"Dizen was a stupid boy. He should have known better," the first person sighed as Leto felt a hand on his forehead, "Oh…my poor boy…my sweet little boy…Maker knows a friend is akin to food in this life."

_Wait…what is going on with Dizen?_

"Master Carso said that the only thing left of him was a finger. A finger. Mabari are so vicious. I thought the only thing they left was a blood splatter on the ground," the younger person said.

"Perhaps they did not hunger. The Cousland girl spent an hour throwing treats to them before she left," the older woman said.

_Left? Rosie left?_

"I shall say a prayer for him," the second voice said.

"There is something noble about his determination," the first voice told her as the hand left Leto's forehead, "It's senseless, reckless…but noble. He went after what he wanted."

_No! I don't want to sleep…_

* * *

As soon as he woke up, Leto forced himself to sit up. He heard the thud of someone falling back as he opened his eyes. It wasn't until a few moments that he felt a harsh pain in his stomach. He coughed as he tried to regain a sense of breath.

"You're awake!" a voice yelled out.

He turned to see Varania on the floor. Leto smiled as he watched his sister scramble up. With a low gasp, he winced as Varania pulled him into a deep hug. But the pain went away as he hugged his sister back.

"How long have I been?" Leto asked, wondering how much time had passed.

"Almost two months," she told him as she pulled away.

"Two months?" Leto repeated, alarmed and confused about how long he had been in a comatose state.

"Your injuries were extensive," Varania told him, "Master Carso brought in a healer, but Mistress Lily made him leave. If the healer didn't do what he did at first, you would have probably been unconscious longer." She took in a deep breath before she told him, "Leto…Dizen is dead. He tried to escape again. He got past the guards but not the mabari. He was attacked…The only thing left was a finger."

A feeling in his stomach started to form. It wasn't pain. It was something stronger and it was not hurting him physically.

"…Idiot," Leto said as he looked away from Varania, "I told him not to. Stupid fool. He deserved to die."

"Leto you don't mean that," she told him.

"I meant it. I said it, didn't I?" He asked as he felt another pain in his stomach. This was the physical one. He groaned as he fell back on the bed.

Varania sighed as she straightened herself and dusted herself off. "I will tell Mother that you're better. She'll want to see you," she said as she started to leave.

"Where's Rosie?" Leto asked as he watched her.

"Rosie?" she questioned as her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Elissa Cousland," he clarified, "Two months…It's autumn now. She is gone?"

Varania nodded, wondering why her brother asked about her. Not bothering to continue the conversation, she left the room without another word.

Leto sighed as he stared up at the ceiling. It wasn't long before another came in.

"It's good to see you awake," Master Carso said as he walked into the room. He smiled down at the slave before he put his hand on Leto's head. He ruffled his hair before he asked, "Are you feeling any pain?"

"In my stomach," Leto told him as he looked back down at the bandaged area.

"Yes…Three ribs were broken. Two are growing back incorrectly. You have such a small frame and fragile bones…" Master Carso said as he sighed. He looked down, "I'm sorry for what my wife did…She's…never done anything this drastic."

A moment of silence passed before Leto said, "I should not have disrespected her. I deserved my punishment."

With a harsh laugh, Master Carso smiled down at Leto before he told him, "Elissa was very worried about you. She came to see you whenever she could get away. Before she left, she gave me this." Master Carso pulled a letter out of one of his pockets. He gave it to him.

Leto took the letter and looked it over. Many of the words were foreign, but he could pick out some words.

"I want to resume our reading lessons," Master Carso told him. He gave a gentle smile.

Returning his smile, Leto nodded slowly as he held the letter close in his hand.


	15. An Offer You Can't Refuse

**Chapter Fifteen: An Offer You Can't Refuse**

"Her handwriting is atrocious, I'm sorry," Master Carso said as he put the letter down on the desk. He smoothed out the wrinkled paper, "And her attempt at writing in Arcanum passed in effort, but failed in content. She should have stuck to common tongue, but I suppose she wanted to write in your language. I never would have guessed. She spoke Arcanum fluently."

Leto threw these faults aside as he ran his eyes over the letters and words. Master Carso was right. Rosie's handwriting was sloppy and even he could see how she misspelled several words. He sighed as he sat up in the chair and went to pick out the words he did know. He spotted his name in the mixtures of jumbled words and incorrect grammar.

"Master Carso? May I ask a question?" the slave asked. After his master nodded, he continued. "What letter is this?" Leto asked, pointing out the odd looking scribble that he noticed in some of the words.

The older took a look at where Leto was pointing. "I believe that it might be an 'i'," Master Carso said after further inspection, "Elissa really needs to take lessons in penmanship if she wants to be a respectable noble."

Knowing that being a respectable noble was low on her priorities, Leto hid a small smile as he thought of Rosie's spirit. She would be very misplaced in a room full of her peers. Even though she looked the part, she did not have the spirit or the mind to be comfortable as a noble.

Over the last week, Leto recovered from his injuries. Antiva and Varania doted over him even though he insisted that he was well. He had spent a lot of his time trying to squirm away from his mother's death grips. Antiva had been sick to death over him and she didn't want him out of her sight. It wasn't until Master Carso came that she permitted Leto to leave her. She thought that he would be safe. From the rumors that went around, Master Carso had sent Mistress Lily on a 'holiday' and would not permit her back until she was 'fully relaxed and calmed down'. Even Leto could see some of the weariness in her eyes leave. It was a nice sight.

As the lesson started, a knock interrupted Master Carso mid sentence. He sighed in irritation before he went to open the door.

Varania had been the person knocking. She said, quickly, "Magister Danarius is here."

Master Carso was quiet for a moment. He cleared his throat, "Tell him I'll be down in a moment."

Leto turned from the letter and looked at Varania. He smiled and waved at her before he looked back to the letter. Master Carso turned and started to walk back to the desk.

"He wants to see Leto, too," Varania said, after a moment. She was rushed in her statement. "He told me to tell you that he has a solution that will solve everything."

Leto could see his master's eyes widened to the size of plates. And for once there was uncertainty glowing in his orbs.

"Come, Leto, let us see what he wants," Master Carso said as he turned and walked out of the library. Leto quickly got out of the chair and followed his master. Varania got out of their way and watched the two of them walk down the hallway and down the stairs.

Varania's eyes glazed to the desk and she saw the letter. She looked both ways in the hall before she went into the library. She picked up the paper and folded it. She put it in her pocket before she went on her way.

Leto had not seen Danarius for six years, but the man had barely changed since he last saw him. The only thing different about the man was that he had someone standing next to him.

She was a pretty girl, but not absolutely stunning. She seemed to be around Rosie's age, but the sharpness of her features made Leto uncertain of this. Unlike Rosie's eyes, her eyes were cold and experienced even though they did shine like diamonds. She had shoulder length black hair that seem to compliment her small frame. She was wearing apprentice robes and it didn't take long for Leto to see what she was.

"Carso, I would like to introduce you to Hadriana, my new apprentice. Hadriana, this is my brother-in-law, Magister Carso," Danarius said as Leto and Carso came into the room.

"It's nice to meet you," the young woman identified as Hadriana smiled as she curtsied.

"Likewise. I'm glad to see Danarius has started teaching again," Master Carso said as he looked Hadriana over.

"She shows excellent promise. And she has not failed to disappoint me yet," Danarius said as he smiled down at his protégé. He then turned to Leto, "And here is the boy I have been looking for. How have you been, Leto?"

Shocked that Danarius was speaking to him, Leto was hesitant in his response. He cleared his throat and looked down before saying, "I am doing well, ser."

"I am glad to see your injuries are healed," he responded with his usual charismatic voice.

"Thank you for your concern," Leto replied, still keeping his eyes down.

"Ha, so docile and well trained," Danarius beamed as he looked back to Master Carso, "He must have had a great spirit. I would have paid a pretty price to be there when you broke him, Carso."

Master Carso cleared in throat, uncomfortably, "Whatever spirit he had is not there. He was born in slavery…You know this, Danarius."

"Ah, yes. Born to that breeder slave of yours. He inherited his mother's good looks. What of his father?" Danarius asked.

There was an uncomfortable silence before Master Carso said, "I do not recall who sired him."

Not disturbed by the quiet, Danarius chuckled before he said, "Well it does not matter. I did not come here to talk to you about the boy's lineage. Coming from good stock does not mean much. Take you for example, Carso. Born to ex-slaves, taken in by the right magister at the right time, married into a wealthy human family. You have become the only respectable mage of elven blood in the Imperium. I believe that-"

"Get to the point Danarius," Master Carso interrupted, "I know that you did not come over her to talk idly. What is it that you want?"

Danarius smiled, "Oh, always so serious, Carso. It was actually Leto I wanted to speak to."

Tensing up, Leto looked up for a moment before he looked back down.

"I would like to give you an offer. See, after several tests, I have developed a rather interesting weapon. This weapon comes in the form of markings made out of lyrium," Danarius explained, "Now-"

"Lyrium?" Master Carso questioned, "Danarius, what have you-"

"Tsk, tsk, it is rude to interrupt people when they talk. You are setting a poor example for Leto here," Danarius said. He then continued, "Now, Leto, I would like to offer you this weapon. There are several other young men such as yourself I would like to offer this to, but I will only chose one. If you were to win this little competition, you will gain this weapon, a boon, and you will be transferred to my service."

The only thing that caught Leto's interest, besides Danarius's initial interest of course, was the offer of a boon. That's what made Leto's head perk up.

Before Leto could respond, Master Carso said with a hint of anger in his voice, "Wait, you cannot be offering this to him. What you are saying is not making sense? How could you not ask me about this first?"

"Because you would have reacted the way you are, thrown me out, and Leto would have never known about it," Danarius said, simply, "This is a great opportunity for him. And it does not involve you in the slightest. If anything this is better for Leto…It keeps him away from her after all."

Master Carso held his tongue and Leto could feel his eyes on him.

"I will give you some time to think on this, Leto…I will come back tomorrow and I'll hear your decision," Danarius said before he went to turn around.

"Excuse me, Magister?" Leto asked, hesitantly.

Danarius smiled before he turned his head, "Yes?"

"If I were to win…and I get these markings and a boon…Can the boon be the freedom of my mother and sister?" Leto asked.

"Leto…" Master Carso started.

"Yes, I will do everything in my power to free them if that is your wish," Danarius said, his smile growing larger.

Leto just nodded as he looked down, "Thank you…"

"Come, Hadriana," Danarius told his apprentice before the two went for the door, "Nice to see you again, Carso."

After they left, Leto raised his head and looked at Carso with the intent of speaking with him about this.

Master Carso just turned from him and said, "Don't do it. Don't take his offer," before he went up the stairs and left the slave by himself.

And with his thoughts as his only company.

* * *

Please read and review. I really want to hear your thoughts. Thank you so much for reading.


	16. Fork In The Road

**Chapter Sixteen: Fork In The Road**

A few moments had passed as Leto mulled over Danarius's offer. It was almost hard to even comprehend. What Danarius proposed almost seemed too good to be true. Leto could not believe what the magister told him. And the price did not seem so high to play. Leto admitted that he was not intelligent enough to really understand what Danarius meant by putting 'lyrium markings' on him. It could not be that bad considering he could free his family in exchange.

He would do anything for them.

"Leto," Varania said as she found her brother at the bottom of the stairs. She approached him hesitantly. She couldn't even figure out a reason to why the magister, Danarius, wanted to speak with her older brother.

He turned to face his sister and he smiled at her, fondly. "Varania, you are a radiant angel today…"

With a small laugh, she looked at him, "What did I do to receive such praise? Or should I ask 'what is it that you want'?" She crossed her arms as she looked at Leto with amusement.

"I might have found a way to free you and Mother," Leto told her excitedly.

Varania said nothing at first. After the silence, he continued, "Magister Danarius is essentially freeing you two in exchange for my transfer into his services. All I have to do is prove myself and receive something called lyrium markings-"

His sister had stayed quiet and amazed until the last two words came out of his mouth. She spoke at once, "Lyrium markings? I heard about those during my lessons. Leto, you cannot be serious. It's very new magic. I don't even think there is a person who has survived receiving them."

"Well, what are they exactly?" Leto said, used to his sister over-reacting.

"In theory, they are suppose to give you the ability to phase through objects," Varania said as she took Leto's hand and placed it on her chest, "You could go right through my body and crush my heart if you so pleased."

"Oh…" Leto said simply. That was an interesting power. Imagine what he could do with that.

"I don't know the whole process to you retrieving them…I assume it's like inking, but it's lyrium going into your skin. That has to hurt a lot worse. And it's still a work in progress. Please don't risk this," Varania pleaded, "And I don't trust this Danarius. He's not like Master Carso, Leto. You won't be treated nicely there. And you have his apprentice, Hadriana, to deal with. I have heard things about her…Things that aren't nice at all."

"Magister Danarius seems like a decent person, Varania," Leto told her, "What is the worse that could happen?"

"Oh, Leto, you know better than to ask that question," Varania scolded as she sighed, "Well, this is your choice and your decision. Just don't do it for us. Do it for yourself and what you want."

"Doing this for you is what I want," Leto said after a moment. It was true. His family always came first. And now that he was approaching adulthood it was time to act on the thought that had been implanted in his brain since he was an adolescent.

* * *

"No," was Antiva's one worded answer to Leto's entire story.

After a moment to wait for whatever would come after that 'no', Leto cleared his throat before he inquired, "Why not, Mother?"

"I do not owe you an answer to a question you already know the answer to," Antiva told him. She turned away from her work and looked at her son, "It's a risky situation all around. Varania told me about it."

"Oh!" Leto said, frustrated, "How did she get to you before I did?"

"She ran, I assume," Antiva told him, simply.

"Varania has no right. I'm the elder sibling," Leto said, "And besides that fact, I am doing this for you and her. I thought you would approve."

"If I were a selfish and desperate woman, I would. There are many mothers that would slit their own baby's throat if it meant freedom," Antiva said. She smiled and shook her head, "No…I have lived my life as a slave. There are few things I find comfort in. One of those things is having you safe and close to me. It was a luxury I did not deserve. You and Varania are the light of my life."

Leto sighed as he leaned against the wall. He thought for a moment as he watched Antiva return to her work. He then said, "You may have lived your life this way, but Varania has not. She still has a chance to make something of herself. She has magic, mother. That means something here. Give her time, she can be something great and wonderful."

Antiva snorted, "Oh, playing that card are we, Leto?"

He was not respecting that tone in her voice. It was sarcastic. He never knew his mother to be like that.

His mother, still doing her work, told him, "You have my blessing. Do what you want. If you win, use the boon for her. Not for me."

"I am freeing you as well. Why are you rejecting this?" Leto asked, confused.

She finally turned to him. She smiled weakly before she said, "I honestly don't know. I had dreams of escaping long before you came along. Long before I was brought here. But…Oh, Leto, it's so hard to explain to you. Especially since you don't know the truth. I just don't know what I could do outside this mansion. I…I need this life. I need who all is in it. I would rather stay in slavery if it meant being content."

"But you can be more than content. You can be happy," Leto said. He sighed as he turned and went down the hall. He stopped after a few paces, "Do I have your blessing, Mother?"

"You never needed my blessing," Antiva told him, "You have a mind outside of what people tell you. That is such a rare trait. Do not loose it." Leto could hear that smile in her voice. She continued, "So, when is this magister retrieving you?"

"He says that he will come to hear my decision tomorrow," Leto said. He turned and saw her shocked expression.

"Tomorrow?" she repeated, "So soon. I thought that…" She cleared her throat, "Oh, well, better now than later…"

Leto walked back to her and surprised her with a sudden embrace.

The mother returned the hug as she held her son. She kissed the top of his head before she ended it. She took Leto by the shoulders and smiled up at him. It was at this moment where Leto noticed that he was taller than his mother. It was a feat that he sought to accomplish since he was little. But that was an observation for another day.

"I am glad that I did something good," Antiva said, "You and Varania are the only things that I am proud of." She squeezed his shoulders before asking, "Are you sure about this? Absolutely sure? This is a good master you are going to serve?"

"I think so. He is not Master Carso, but I think he's decent," Leto told her, honestly. He could remember as a child being frightened of the elusive figure. But he dismissed this as childish feelings and not rational.

Antiva laughed, "Well, I can hardly think that someone related to Mistress Lily can be decent. However, I do trust your judgment. You're a smart boy." She took her hands off him, "Now, go on and leave me alone. I'm not going to get this finished with you interrupting me. Shoo."

Leto smiled as he turned and left his mother to her work. He waved at her as he went down the hallway.

He could only imagine the look on Dizen's face if he knew what was happening. "Oh Dizen," he sighed, thinking of his friend. And Rosie had left. She would have supported him. Both Dizen and Rosie would have stood behind him and encouraged him to take that offer at once. He could imagine Dizen's grinning face as he pushed him towards Danarius. Rosie could kiss him before sending him on his way.

But they were gone.

Now there was only one more person he could talk to.


	17. Quasi Freedom

**Chapter Seventeen: Quasi Freedom**

"Master Carso, may I speak to you?" was Leto's question as he knocked on the door to the library. He rapped his knuckles on the door, taking notice of the beat it made. He smiled slightly as he began to tap lightly, making different notes. Leto liked to take pleasure in the simple things in life.

His minor amusement was quickly ended when the door opened. Leto quickly put his hand down and opened his fist. Master Carso stood in front of Leto. There was a grimace on his face as he looked down at the slave. He sighed before he asked, with a harsh tone in his voice, "What do you want?"

Leto frowned at this attitude. Usually Master Carso was friendly to him and was always eager to speak with the young slave. Leto tried to figure out what he did wrong before he went to speak. However he could not think of anything he did that would cause Master Carso to look upon him so poorly.

"I...I wanted to talk to you," Leto said. He then added quickly, hoping this would soothe the situation, "I ask for forgiveness if I bothered you, Master." His held his breath, hoping whatever wrong he committed would be put to rest.

A loud laugh came out of Master Carso's mouth. It made Leto tense as he tried to figure out what was going on. Master Carso then asked after he finished laughing, "Oh? I'm your master again, am I? I thought Danarius was. You take his orders so submissively." He then sighed as he moved out of the doorway, "Come in. I was just taking a glass of wine."

The slave followed him and watched Master Carso sit down at his desk. He was uneasy around the man, still trying to figure out what was going on.

"Sit down," Master Carso told Leto as he picked up the aforementioned glass and took a sip of his drink. His actions were relaxed, but his body told a different story. There was something on the older elf's mind.

Leto walked closer into the room and sat down in the wingback chair as he had done several times before. It was when he saw Master Carso frown that he began to wonder what he had done wrong this time.

"Did I say 'sit down in the chair'?" Master Carso asked, staring at Leto with hard eyes. The slave had never seen that expression before. Even when he was angry with Mistress Lily, he still kept soft eyes.

He was hesitant to respond to his master's question. Leto said, slowly, "No, ser." He hoped that an explanation would be given.

"What did I say?" questioned the master as he took another sip.

"You said 'sit down'," Leto said, wondering what that was about.

" 'You said 'sit down' what?" Master Carso prompted, keeping his eyes on Leto.

Uncertain, Leto responded, "You said 'sit down', Master."

Master Carso nodded, "Correct. So, sit down."

After a moment of thought, Leto got out of the chair and sat down on the floor. He crossed his legs and got in a comfortable position. Perhaps that was what Master Carso meant by sitting down. Before he could speak, he heard another command.

"Stand up."

Confused, Leto did as he was told. He straightened his legs, got on his knees, and pulled himself up. As soon as he got himself in the upright position, he received yet another order.

"Sit down."

Now getting irritated, Leto sighed as he sat back down on the floor. As soon as his bottom touched the rug, he heard Master Carso.

"Stand up."

"Master, what is the point of this?" Leto asked as he scrambled up.

Instead of being given an answer, the wine was thrown into his face. Leto gasped as he felt the sticky liquid hit his skin.

"Did I permit you to question?" Master Carso asked as he put the glass back on the desk.

Leto put his hand over his eyes and wiped away the alcohol. He looked at his master and said, trying to hid his frustration, "I...you...I...I believe not, Master..."

"Good, now sit down," Master Carso said, keeping that frown on his face.

He sat back down, but he kept his hands and legs in position. He could hear the next command coming.

However, it didn't.

Master Carso just continued to stare at Leto. Any emotion in his eyes was cleverly hidden.

Thinking it was safe to, Leto slowly relaxed and put his legs into the crossed position.

"You would have been dead by now," Master Carso said, absentmindedly.

"Excuse me?" Leto asked as he looked up to him.

The master sighed as he took note of the drops of wine that remained in the glass. He took that small drink before he explained, "Danarius does not tolerate disobedience. And he is an addict to psychologically breaking someone for his own amusement. He had done a similar exercise with one of his slaves the other day. Instead of a few minutes, he made him get up and down for twelve hours straight. And when that slave finally questioned him, instead of wine, Danarius threw boiling lyrium into his face. It blinded the slave, completely disfiguring his face and he was deemed useless. So, Danarius bled him for his magic and threw the slave's still conscious body to the mabari to feast on."

Leto felt his heart beat faster as fear entered his body. He looked up to his master, cautiously, before he asked, "Psychologically? That's all he'll do?"

Master Carso laughed once more, "You underestimate the luxury of having a sound mind. You don't realize how precious your free will has been." He straightened up in his seat, "Bones mend, cuts scar, welts disappear. You lose your mind, you never get it back. He is a heartless man, more ruthless than every single magister in Tevinter put together. He receives the same amount of pleasure from inflicting pain as you and I do from a hug or kiss."

"...If it will free my family, I would do whatever that man wanted," Leto told Master Carso.

"You have a good heart, Leto..." Master Carso said, "It would be a shame to see it break..." He sighed as he put the wine glass back on the table, "Do what you wish. I owe you that much. I owe you the right to choose what you want to do with your life."

Seeing that it was safe to, Leto slowly rose up from his sitting position and went for the door. As his hand touched the doorknob, he heard his master speak.

"Leto...there is something I should tell you..."

He turned and faced Master Carso, "Yes, ser?"

Master Carso opened his mouth slowly. He then wavered for a bit before he cleared his throat, "The reason I kept you and Varania was because of my selfishness. Because I could not stand the thought of you two being out there, all alone. But Maker help me, you might have been better off. I just hope that there is a reason I made that choice."

And with that, Leto stood still. He accepted what was said and nodded. He understood...He understood everything now. He opened the door and walked out of the library.

* * *

**Important Author's Note**

"Luck of The Draw" is going to be divided into six parts.

"Book of Leto" which is from Leto's childhood to when he recieves the markings

"Book of Little Wolf" Recieving the markings to when he escapes at Seheron

"Book of Kadan" His time with the Rebels and on the run until he reaches Kirkwall

"Book of Fenris: Act 1" Act one of DA2

"Book of Fenris: Act 2" Act two of DA2

"Book of Fenris: Act 3" Act Three and Afterwards

I'm not sure if I'm going to go after the game's endings. It's going to depend on how the story goes and what's going on. But I've decided to make parts instead of one big story.

Thanks for reading and please review.


	18. Matters Of Priviledge

**Chapter Eighteen: Matters Of Privilege**

_Three months later…_

One could describe life in Danarius's mansion similar to the life of a wolf in the woods. But unlike reality, you were just a lone wolf. There was no pack. Everyone in this woods was out for their own interests. There was no concept of friendship or loyalty. Leto learned that much within a month. He had given up on the hope of having a bond like he had with Dizen. And forget the bond with Rosie. The human girl still weighed heavy on Leto's mind. He spent his nights staring up at the ceiling thinking about her. Troubled over the hold she had over him, Leto had no choice but the succumb to his boyish desires night after night.

The tourney was supposed to be held within a few days time. The concept, as Danarius had explained, was pitting the slaves against one another in battle. Whoever came out on top, ("Survived," a faired haired elf coughed.) was the winner and thus was worthy of the markings and of the boon. All the slaves held natural strength and stamina, but they had little to no experience with an actual weapon. They were on their own in that sense. All they were given were daggers and swords to train themselves with. However, Danarius had given Leto an advantage by giving him access to a personal trainer. "Because I always root for an underdog," was Danarius's explanation to the confusion in Leto's eyes. This did not go unnoticed. Leto's rivals isolated him and spoke poorly of him. Yet whenever Leto practiced on his own, they watched him and tried to mimic his techniques.

They were determined to win this competition for reasons of their own. Some, like Leto, sought the boon so they could free their families. Others, who had no family, sought the power. Leto could see why. They would still be kept as slaves, but the power...It was beyond belief. The young men in competition with Leto numbered ten. Ten healthy and strong young men. At first. One by one, the men started to drop like flies. "Natural causes," the healer would say. Leto would snort in agreement. Oh yes, if a knife was stuck into you while you slept, you would die. Naturally.

Ever since he recognized this pattern of deaths, Leto never slept at night. He kept himself awake by practicing his new interest in swordsmanship. There was an area in the courtyard that was used for such purposes. If Leto did sleep, it was for a few hours at a time locked in a closet in the hallway. It was taking his toll on him and he was often fighting to keep himself from passing out during practice.

As the month drew to a close, Leto had figured out who had helped the others to an early grave. It was the faired haired elf that had caught Leto's attention earlier. His name was Nicolai and he had taught himself in the ways of an assassin. He was not strong enough to be a warrior and he was a monster with the twins blades. It seemed logical that he would be a skilled assassin and observing his personality only confirmed Leto's thoughts. Nicolai was taking down the competition and Leto was only grateful that he had figured things out before Nicolai struck him down.

This morning, Leto had walked into the mansion to find out that Clover had died late in the night. That was the only rival that came between Leto and Nicolai. With a fast heart, Leto quickly walked out of the mansion and back into the courtyard. He would need to be on his guard until the blasted tourney was over with. Then, whatever would happen, he would at least be able to sleep, be it real sleep or in death, without wondering if he was going to wake up with a knife through the temple.

Leto did not have contact with his family. Otherwise he would have talked to them about this. Belinda, a sympathetic matron in the kitchen, was always there to talk with Leto if he ever needed it. He had not told her what he feared about Nicolai, but he was able to talk with her about why he was there and any other problems he faced. Even though they looked nothing alike, Antiva being slim and elvish with Belinda being fleshy and human, Leto found a substitute mother figure in the stern, protective and no-nonsense woman. Being a mother to eleven sturdy boys back in her home country, Belinda knew exactly how to speak to the closed young man. She would also never fail to make comments on how Leto reminded her of her sons. Leto could never keep track of the names. They were foreign and strange sounding to him. But still, Leto felt touched that she would equate him with her own flesh and blood.

Danarius's apprentice, Hadriana, and Leto rarely crossed paths. If they did, it was usually in the courtyard at night. He would feel her cat like eyes on his back and he would turn to find her looking at him. She had her staff in her hand and was watching his swordplay with a blank look. "I need the field, elf. I have to practice," she would say. Leto would nod as he put his sword up and left the courtyard. He didn't like the way she looked at him. He felt like an insect under her gaze.

Now, Danarius was a different story when it came to crossing paths. Leto would find himself talking to the man at least once a day. Sometimes they would pass each other in the hallway. Danarius would flash his charming smile before he would ask the slave how his day was going. Also, Danarius was always there to supervise Leto's training. That irritated his neglected apprentice to no end. Hadriana would just fume at his side for fifteen minutes before she finally huffed and walked to the library to study. Danarius never noticed that she even left.

"Leto, fancy seeing you here," was the false statement Nicolai gave as he approached Leto.

"This is where we practice," Leto said, dryly, before he turned and continued his brutal assault on one of the dummies, "Why wouldn't you find me here?"

"I don't know. You and your trainer have been working all day...I figure that you wouldn't need practice," was Nicolai's explanation as he leaned against one of the other dummies, "I figured that you would sleep and rest in preparation for the tourney."

Leto continued on with his practice, not saying one word to the assassin. There was no point to this. He was not going to play nice with the boy who would stab him in the back as soon as he would turn.

After the silence, Nicolai said after sighing, "You know...we're alike, you and I..."

"Oh, really now?" Leto asked, feigning interest.

Nicolai smirked, "Yes…yes, we are."

In a few days, Leto would find himself wiping that smirk of the rogue's face. He was excited about this. It was the only thing that peeked his interest and made him feel alive since Rosie and the distant night at the lake. Because once this tourney was over with, once Nicolai died by his hand, he would have what he always wanted. Happiness for his family.

But why did he get a sick foreboding feeling in his belly?


	19. Clipping Wings

_Author's Note: If you have enjoyed Luck Of The Draw so far, please add me to author's alerts so you can be aware when the sequel is put up. Also, please review with your thoughts and feelings and what you think of what is going on. Even to say if you hate it. LOL. Constructive critism is the lyrium to my inner templar. And you can personal message me anytime you want._

_Thanks to the people who've added this to their favorites and their alerts. They always make me happy._

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Clipping Wings**

When Leto stuck his blade into Nicolai, he didn't feel the satisfaction he thought he would. There was no happiness or feeling of glory and pride. Instead, he had regret for his decision. The cheers of those watching the tourney fell deaf. Leto watched as Nicolai's eyes turned wide and he could see the pain and shock in those orbs. The sword had hit a tender spot in Nicolai's armor. Not close enough to hit heart so he did not die instantly. It would take time. With horror, Leto saw that the blade had gone through the skin, through the ribs, and out Nicolai's back.

Nicolai's skin went white as he stumbled forward. He was still alive and in terrible agony. Within seconds, Leto saw the blood start to pour out. The crimson liquid stained his sword at once. Not knowing what to do, Leto hesitantly slid the sword out of Nicolai's body. A dreadful howl of pain came out of Nicolai's mouth. Leto quickened his pace on removing the sword, thinking it was the slowness of the removal that was paining him. The scream ended as Nicolai watched the sword leave his body. Only silence came out of that gaping mouth. Leto watched as Nicolai slowly put his hand on the open wound. The flow of blood quickened and rose in quantity. Leto dropped the sword as Nicolai went to fall forward. The clank of the sword on the ground echoed in Leto's mind.

Leto bent down and caught Nicolai in his arms, not letting him fall on the ground below. Leto slowly set him down on the ground and bent down next to him. He held Nicolai's head up with one hand. He put his other hand over the wound in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. Nicolai shuddered and looked up at Leto with those wide eyes. Leto turned away from him, not standing to look at those eyes. He never saw anything more frightening in his life.

Looking back to the dying man, Leto saw that his lips were wavering. Nicolai was trying to say something. Leto waited patiently, unsure of what to do in this situation.

"Maker…Maker damn you, Leto…Damn you to the Void…I...I...I came here to win...I didn't stand a chance…Damn that Danarius…Damn him for giving me a sliver of hope," Nicolai managed out before he cried out in pain. The sudden and harsh sound shook Leto's core as he pressed his hand further on the raging wound, desperate to help Nicolai in some way. At this point, Leto's small hand was drenched in blood. Nicolai whimpered before he continued, "The boon would have given enough money to take care of my family. I have five little brothers and sisters," He continued his rambling, "What is Mother going to do now? I was so stupid..."

"Hush," Leto replied as he stared down at the puddle of blood that started to form, "You don't want to die blaming yourself..."

The fading light in his eyes shot up with anger. He turned to Leto. "I will die how I damn well please," was Nicolai's snap reply. He cried out once more, pushing Leto's hand off his wound. Nicolai shuddered once more as Leto saw the life slowly go out of the assassin's eyes. They began to dim in color. And then...there was nothing.

* * *

"Look at you now, nicks and notches all over the place and you just came to me. You should have came to me as soon as the tourney was over," Belinda scolded as she wet the cloth and went to clean the small wounds on Leto's skin. The elf had not been unscathed in the tourney. Nicolai was not completely incompetent. He did have some talent and ability and he knew what he was doing with his twin blades. Nicolai was able to stab him a few times before he finally won. They were not deep, but they were numerous. Caked with blood, there were dozens of small cuts decorated Leto's arms and chest. His left hand, though it had been washed numerous times, still held blood under the fingernails.

"They didn't bothered me until now…" Leto sighed. It was true. They had begun to itch as the blood dried on his skin. He kept his eyes to the floor and away from the motherly creature's gaze. Whenever he saw eyes, he saw his reflection in them. And he did not want to see himself at the moment. "And Danarius wanted to speak to me after." He smiled slightly, "He said I'm an excellent fighter. And with a good trainer, I could grow to be extremely useful for him."

He had never thought of what it really meant to kill someone. To take the life of them, sending them to their Maker before their time. To watch the life leave their eyes and watch them take their final breath. It was sickening. He would give anything to change what had happened. The only thing to keep Leto's mind off the wrong that he did was that the right he had done. His family was free now. His mother and sister could live on their own, make their own money, serve no master. But now he had doomed another family. Nicolai was their breadwinner. This tourney must have been his only chance like it was for Leto.

"Don't feel bad," Belinda told the silent elf as she noted his quietness, "Just remember, it could have been you bleeding to death on the ground. And I guarantee you that Nicolai would not have treated you as you did him. He would have kicked you while you were down and make you lick the blood off his boots."

Seeing this scene in his mind, Leto wrinkled his nose. There was some truth to that statement. If Nicolai was coward enough to kill people in their sleep, then he would have done what Belinda said he would. His desire to provide for his family was noble, but his methods were questionable. And honestly, Leto cared more for his own family than these strangers. He would see others starve rather than see his family in slavery another day.

Even with that in his mind, Leto was still unsatisfied with himself.

Danarius was pleased with him, however. Hadriana, unimpressed and uninterested by the spectacle presented to her, just crossed her arms and rolled her eyes as her master praised Leto. She could have his praises was Leto's thought. He blocked out Danarius's words as he watched Nicolai's body being taken away.

"Ah, you should have come to me sooner…" Belinda tsked before she went to bandage the cuts.

Leto just shrugged as he continued to look away from her. Sighing with impatience, Belinda simply shook her head as she finished her work. Maker knows he reminded her of her youngest. Stubborn child.

"So, tomorrow's the day?" Belinda asked, not sure whether she should feel happy for him or not.

With a nod, Leto told her, "Yes…Danarius send word to my old master to free my mother and sister. They'll be free tomorrow."

Belinda sighed as she said, "That is well, but I was talking about the ritual. You're going to get your markings tomorrow…"

Another shrug only served to irritate the matriarch to now end. "Surely you have some feelings about this. Fear? Anxiousness? Excitement? Something?"

Searching for an answer, Leto was disappointed to find that he felt none of these things. Nothing at all.

But tomorrow was another day.

Tomorrow he would get his markings.


	20. Fenris

**Chapter Twenty: Fenris**

No dreams dared interrupted him. Leto was woken up early the next morning. The apprentice, Hadriana, was the one who was supplied with the task of taking the sleeping slave out of his slumber. Her method of waking him up was to whack him with her staff. Of course, the elf's fearful response to being attacked while he was sleeping was to sit up at once, hitting blindly at his attacker. Leto ended up punching Hadriana right in her nose causing the apprentice to stumble back into the wall. She dropped her staff, causing a loud thud, and she clutched her nose, whining in pain.

After fully waking up, Leto realized who he had hit. He looked down at the staff and put his hand on his aching head. He put two and two together and got Hadriana hitting him with her staff. He was not surprised. "What did you do that for?" He demanded to know. Usually he was submissive around Hadriana, but his impulse to chew her out was overbearing. And he exasperated by the fact that this was practically the only time he had slept for week and she wanted to cut it short.

"Uppity elf, I was sent to wake you up," Hadriana snarled, shrilly, as she removed her hands from her nose. Leto looked at her hands to see that blood had spotted her pale palms. He could also see blood coming out of her nose. "I should tell Danarius about you attacking me." Leto actually laughed at that. Angered, she continued, "I could have you whipped for this you know," Hadriana shrieked as she looked for something to wipe her hands on. She settled for Leto's blanket.

This was an idle threat. Hadriana would not dare tell anyone that a slave, out of all things, bested her. So, he was not all that concerned about her telling Danarius anything. Leto yawned as he went to stretch his arms, ignoring her. He didn't speak to Hadriana nor indicated that she was still in the room. He could feel the annoyance emitting from her like a terrible stench. If he was not so exhausted from the events, he would show a smirk and tempt his luck again.

Hadriana bent down to pick up her staff and quickly straightened up. She stared at Leto in her childish infuriation. She jabbed Leto in the stomach with the staff a few times before she ordered, "Come on, slave. Get out of bed. Danarius is waiting on us." She ended her poking before she glared at him. Leto groaned as he put his hand to the hurt side. It wasn't enough to cause true pain, but it still hurt and annoyed him. He was so glad that he was not under her power. He could not stand her.

Still in a drowsy and dazed state, he followed Hadriana down the dimly lit hallway. Leto glanced over at an open window and saw that it was still dark outside. There was no indication that sunrise would come soon. Leto looked back to Hadriana and yawned once more. If he could, he would fall to his knees and curl up into a ball before falling back asleep on the wooden floor. That vision was so appealing to him. That was all he wanted to do at the moment.

After a few moments of walking, Leto saw that Hadriana was walking towards a door at the end of the hall. She reached the wooden door and pulled out a tiny key from her robes. She unlocked the door and opened it. She walked inside, beckoning Leto to follow her. "Come, hurry up you lazy slave," was the sneering command as she ushered him. Leto stepped inside. As he looked around the dark room, he saw that he was in a stairway. The stairs went down in a spiral formation. Several torches were placed down the staircase. Hadriana went down with Leto trailing after her.

The only sound on their way down the stairs was the sound of their footsteps echoing on the hard stone floor. It sounded strange, yet soothing to Leto. But then, he felt something inside him tell him something. He felt the sudden need to run out of there. As he got closer to down the stairs, he felt a chill go up his spine. His heart started to race as he felt anticipation and anxiety take control of him. This was happening, Leto realized as he felt his stomach drop. This unknown ritual was happening. He was going to get branded today. This was no longer a plan, this was a plan in action.

Finally, Hadriana stopped at the end of the stairs and opened the door at the bottom of the staircase. She walked out the door and Leto carefully followed after. She was leading him into another room. Once he saw the inside of the room, he realized why he felt the way he did. With a slow and hesitant motion, he took in the room. His eyes widened to the size of plates as he felt his fear skyrocketed. This was a foreboding room if he ever saw one.

The room was a black pit. There was no light outside the fire on a chandelier over the room. Hadriana's face became a dark and shadowed object. All Leto could see was the lines on her face. In the middle of the darkened room was a silver metal table. With no legs, the board was hovering over the stone floor. Under the floating table was a purple and black fire that did little to bring light or heat to the room. His curiosity about this object and what magic was keeping it up was cut short.

"Master Danarius," Hadriana said as she curtsied respectfully, "I have brought the slave." She kept her eyes to the floor and stayed in the position. Leto looked for Danarius and finally found the magister standing by the wall. Staff in hand, the man looked more powerful than usual. With his eyes closed, he appeared to be in deep meditation. To see him there actually calmed Leto down a great deal. Even though Danarius scared him, it was nice to see a familiar face. Even though that face terrified him. Realizing in that moment that he would probably never see Master Carso, his mother, or Varania again, he felt something clench around his heart. No, he shouldn't think about that. He was nervous enough without the memory of his previous life plowing its way into his brain.

Suddenly, the eyes opened. Danarius looked to Leto and smiled at him, "Ah, good. Thank you for bringing him to me, Hadriana. Now, be a good girl and stay out of my way." He raised his hand and at once, Hadriana was pushed back into the wall behind her. With a cry, the young woman hit headfirst. She crumpled to the floor like a rag doll. She made no movement for a moment. After a minute past, Leto watched as she moved her arms and attempted to pull herself up.

"Leto," Danarius called, causing the slave to look away from Hadriana. Leto blinked his eyes before he bowed, awaiting whatever order he would be given. "Remove yourself of your clothing." Not expecting this, Leto stood there for a moment. Danarius sent a sharp glare to him and at once, Leto grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Unsure of what to do about it, he just threw his shirt to the ground before he went to remove his trousers. Now he was only clad in his small clothes, Leto looked at Danarius, wondering if he should take these off as well. Danarius nodded as if he knew the question Leto wanted to ask. With hesitance, Leto finished the job. He was fully exposed now. The temperature of the room attacked him at once. He started to shake as the cold took over his body.

"Lay down on the table," was the second order given to him. With that, Danarius turned from him and went into the darkness that was the other side of the room. Hesitant and uncertain at first, Leto straightened himself up before he walked over to the table. He looked over it, inquisitive about the magic that kept it up. He slid onto the table. It was freezing to the touch. He shivered violently before he slowly lied down on the table. Goosebumps began to cover his body.

"Hadriana!" Leto heard Danarius call out. There was a silence before Danarius yelled again, "Lazy girl, get up and come here." Leto began to think that Hadriana would be wise to hurry herself and go to him.

There was a sound of groaning and something scrapping against the floor. Leto then heard a flight of running footsteps. He looked and he saw Hadriana approaching her master.

Danarius said, a roughness in his voice, "You desire to help. Fine, you shall. Attention is key to this. One wrong move could ruin him. I invested too much time and money into that slave to have you mess it up." Unnerved by the tone in Danarius's voice, Leto tried to ignore the dialogue between the two. He was unsuccesful in this.

The sneer and sarcasm in Hadriana's voice was apparent. "Then why not have a fellow magister assist you? Not your bumbling apprentice." She sounded like she was still cross over what he did to her earlier. Even Leto knew that tone of voice would not be good for her in the long run. Danarius did not tolerate cynicism.

The next thing Leto heard was something hard, like a palm, hitting something soft, like a cheek. Hadriana was just not having a good day in the slightest. "Don't disrespect me," Danarius snapped. After a moment, Danarius continued, "I have my reasons, Hadriana. One being, I know that each one would kill to get their hands on what Leto will become." Another pause entered the room.

After the silence was over, she finally spoke. "I ask forgiveness for my disrespect, ser," Hadriana said, lowly. There was an uncharacteristic submission in her voice.

"Apology accepted," was Danarius's quick reply, "Now, come, we do not have much time." Leto heard them walk over towards the table. Hadriana was the first to reach the table. A rosiness came over her face as she took a quick glance at Leto's nude form. Her eyes widened before she looked away from his manhood. Leto felt heat in his own cheeks rise as he looked away from her.

With the awkward situation over, Leto suddenly felt his muscles tense. He let out a short gasp as he tried to move his body. Unable to, Leto realized that he could not move at all. He had been paralyzed. Unused to having a spell cast on him, Leto felt his anxiety shoot through his system. However, after a moment he realized that it was not his entire body that was paralyzed. His chest still moved with his breathing. And he could turn his head and twitch his fingers.

"Fetch the lyrium," Danarius commanded as he sent Hadriana away from the table. The girl nodded as she turned and walked away. Danarius then stepped back and pointed his staff to the fire underneath the table. He waved it slightly before he closed his eyes, focusing his magic on the dark flames under the table.

Leto did not feel it at first. When he started to feel it, it was a very slight uncomfortable, hot feeling. It was like when you walked outside on a hot summer day. And then it hit him like a ton of bricks. The fire roared under him, heating up the metal table. A white pain over took his senses. Only a second passed before he started to cry out. He didn't even notice Hadriana's arrival until he saw the cases of lyrium she was carrying. She set the boxes down beside Danarius. She opened one box. Leto could see the glow coming from the case.

"Hadriana," Danarius began, "I need you to sustain the fire. If his temperature drops, his body will reject the lyrium. He will be useless to me." He then made it clear, "If you ruin him, I will make sure you never become anything more than a 'bumbling apprentice'. Do you understand?" Unlike Hadriana, his threats were _never_ idle.

"Yes, ser," Hadriana said. The fear of losing her hard earned position and of disappointing her ambitions was clear. She took out her staff and pointed it at the flames. Leto hissed as he felt the fever rise.

Seeing that his apprentice was taking care of the fire, Danarius lowered his staff. He rummaged in his robes and pulled out a peculiar looking black instrument. Leto took a quick look at it. It was long and thing with a strange tip. Danarius lowered the instrument into the box and into the lyrium. Leto watched, still whimpering in pain, as the magister then put the tip of the instrument on to Leto's chest. Leto winced, feeling the sharp and pointed tip. And then….

It did not happen slowly. Unlike the situation with the fire, this pain happened right at once. The lyrium was more than boiling hot. It was just painful. A hot and sharp, thick liquid was being injected under his skin. Leto thought he heard someone screaming. It took a moment before he realized it was him. He was the one screaming. The pure agony of the practice was too awful for words.

Danarius was heavily concentrated into his work, only stopping to dip the instrument back into the lyrium. He paid no attention to Leto's screaming. Hadriana, on the other hand, kept sneaking looks to the elven slave. There was something in her eyes. It was a stew of pity, disgust, and wanting. What did she want?

Leto began to realize why Danarius had paralyzed him. This pain was excruciating. Leto could not even begin to tolerate it. If he could move of his own free will, he would have sat up and ran away from that room the minute he could. Without even thinking, he would have abandoned them and the entire process. He would have don anything to stop the pain.

_This is for Mother and Varania…This is for Mother and Varania…._

That was Leto's mantra as Danarius ran the instrument long, thin designs over his body. After a while, Leto could not scream anymore. Something in his voice choked and cracked. A whine left his lips before Leto fell silent. His mouth was still open, his vocal cords straining as he expressed his pain. As some of the tender parts of his body were branded, like his face and hands, Leto felt a wetness blur his vision. The tears escaped his eyes, rolling down his face.

_Mother...Varania...Mother...Varania..._

After many hours, Danarius pulled the instrument away. After the extensive pain, Leto was almost giddy with relief. He looked down and he saw white lyrium branded into his skin. Blood was trickling out of the thin line between skin and lyrium. He was so relieved, he did not even feel the ever present pain.

_It's done, it's done..._

Before Leto could even smile, he felt himself being turned over on the table. He was rolled on to his stomach. Leto moaned in pain as he felt his new markings hit the metal under him. His black hair fell in front of his eyes, causing his view to be obstructed. This didn't matter. He screwed his eyes shut and tried to keep his mind blank.

He could feel the instrument bite into him. He bit his lower lip, forcing himself not to cry out again. He could feel the salty, hot tears escaping out of his eyes as the pain became more and more unbearable. He didn't know how long the process had been going on. To him, it felt like years had passed. The slow hours began to climb into the double digits as the tormentor continued his work on his back.

Suddenly, he felt something happen. He felt a part of his mind stretch out. He envisioned the situation as if a white hot knife was being pressed into his brain. He opened his eyes and let out a long scream. All he saw was whiteness before him. All he could think about was what was happening at that precise moment. There was nothing else.

_Pain...Pain...Pain..._

That one word was his only thought as he felt the instrument finally leave his body. The blood actually felt cool to him compared to the hotness of the torture he experienced. He let out more of his cries as he was rolled over on to his back. His vision, cloudy and dark, told him nothing of the situation at hand.

_Is it over? Please, tell me it's over..._

Suddenly, he heard a thunderous snapping noise by his left ear. He felt the left ear twitch as it registered the painful sound. He heard another snapping noise by his right ear and felt that ear twitch.

"Hearing seems to be intact," a female voice said.

He winced at the noisy voice. Why was she so loud? Why was everything so loud? He looked up to see something skinny, small and flesh colored in his peripheral vision. He followed after the blurred and fuzzy image as it move to the left and to the right and to the left again. It then disapeared from his view.

"Sight is slow," the female said.

"He should recover within the day," a male voice replied, "Check his vocals." He was happy to hear this voice. It was the only thing that sounded quiet to him.

"Speak, elf," was what the female said, snapping. Her voice was more commanding than before.

Believing that the voice was referring to him and was ordering him to speak, he swallowed the dryness in his parched and scarred throat before he tried to obey the command. "Please...please," he croaked out, "Is it over? Tell me it's over." He winced as he felt his throat close in tighter. It hurt him so much to talk.

The female outright ignored his question as she said, "Scratchy voice. His vocals have deepened significantly." He whimpered again, frustrated with the situation.

"A few hours of silence and some water should cure the croak. Good work, Hadriana," the male said. The voice then cleared his throat before he gave an order, "Sit up, boy."

He blinked his eyes before he tried to follow the command. He tried out the muscles, seeing that they were strained, but otherwise working properly. He forced himself to sit up, ignoring the tired feeling in his body. He put his fingers to his eyes and tried to rub them. As he did this, he noted the glow coming from his hands. He looked down to see that the lines on his body were glowing.

"What do you remember?" the male voice asked. There was a softness in his voice.

What a strange question to ask was his thought as he went to remember something. But...he frowned as he bit his bruised lower lip. All he could see was a black blankness in his mind. "Nothing," he finally got out of his mouth.

"What about your name?" The male voice asked.

Thinking he was displeasing the voice by not giving him a memory, he quickly ran through his mind. He searched around for a name. A name, a name. Something, there had to be something. There had to be something that he was called. All he could see around him was black walls of nothingness. The only memory he had was the pain and the voices around him. There was nothing. There was no name to give to the voice that asked for it. And forget a name, there was **_nothing_** he could think of.

"No," he finally answered. He frowned as he saw that his vision was still on borderline blindness. Maybe if he found the owner to this voice, he would be able to gauge his reaction and give him an answer.

A small chuckle came from the male's voice. He stilled suddenly, trying to figure out the motive behind the laugh. He started to tense up as he felt a warm hand on his head. He slowly began to calm down as he felt the soothing touch of long, skinny fingers running through his hair. It was a nice feeling. He felt _secure_.

"Then I shall give you a name, my little wolf," the voice said, sounding pleased. The voice mulled over in thought before it said, "Ah, little wolf. Fenris, of course...A perfect name for my tamed pet."

"Fenris," he repeated as he let the name roll of the tongue. It seemed to fit him naturally. He leaned into the petting touch of the hand. He heard a chuckle as he did so. Seeing that his action caused approval, he felt himself smile. The smile was weak, though. The pain was still lingering in his body. The soreness was overwhelming.

He then asked, timidly, "May I ask your name?"

"Yes you may, Fenris," the voice said. It sounded like he was speaking to a young child, "My name is Danarius. However, since you are my slave, you will call me Master."

Fenris nodded at this. He blinked his eyes, seeing that his vision had started to improve. He turned to look up. He finally was able to match the voice to a person. He looked to see the tall, thin human that was petting him. Fenris looked over the details of his master with curiosity. Master was wearing blue robes that appeared to be well made out of flawless material. Fenris took note of how Master's skin looked lighter than his own and that they were decorated with faint wrinkles. His hair, a dark black, had a few lines of gray in it.

His observation was cut short by the sudden sharp pain of his markings. Fenris winced as he put a finger to one of the hot lines. Noting the blood, he whimpered as he tried to find something to stop the pain. He looked to Master, wondering if this man would take pity on him and do something about the agony he was suffering.

Noting his slave's whimpering, Master told him, "Pain makes you stronger, Fenris. Weak slaves are useless to me."

Hearing this, Fenris was put into a panic as he tried to keep himself quiet and ignore the pain. Once again biting the bruised lip, he tried to keep in his cries.

Laughing at his expression, Master removed his hand from Fenris's head before he told him, "Ah, yes, you are a success, my little wolf. Welcome to your new life..."

* * *

By the Maker, thank Andraste I am done with this chapter! I must have rewrote it six times! Ah! And the whole ritual scene. I had a hard time with that one.

But, thanks a lot for reading and please review. This completes "Book Of Leto" so which means that "Book Of Little Wolf" is next. Yippee!


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